Gebirge (Mountains), 1911 by Franz Marc

Gebirge (Mountains), 1911 by Franz Marc
Gebirge (Mountains), 1911 by Franz Marc

Marc painted Landschaft in 1911 and then repainted it in 1912 after visiting Robert Delaunay in Paris. The new version, retitled Gebirge, is a fusion of influences from Orphism, Cubism, and Futurism.

Delaunay's orphist concern with abstraction and brilliant hues is reflected in the contrasting color planes, which combine to create a surface of multicolored light. Cubism is suggested by the fractured, prismatic forms that define the landscape. The thrusting prisms also generate a dynamic, kaleidoscopic effect reminiscent of Italian Futurism.

Like many artists of the period, Marc desired to attain a state of spirituality; the angular elements that point to the orange sun at the summit evoke a sense of striving toward a higher realm.