Gabriele Münter

 

Sunset over Staffelsee 1908-1911

 Gabriele Münter, 1877-1962 was a German expressionist painter who was at the forefront of the Munich avant-garde in the early 20th century.

She was born in Berlin, of parents who supported her desires to become an artist. She spent some years in the US and, in 1901, she attended classes at Women Artists's Association, in Munich. She was introduced to Post-Impressionism ; her vivid colors and bold outlines were somewhat derived from Gauguin and the Fauves whom she admired but she was inspired by Bavarian folk art as well.

Münter became professionally and also sentimentally involved with the Russian painter Vassily Kandinsky, in those years working in Munich. In 1909, she bought a house in Murnau am Staffelsee, where she received many members of the artistic avant-garde: Marianne von Werefkin, Alexey von Jawlensky and Adolf Erbslöh. Later, Franz Marc, August Macke and composer Arnold Schönberg also stayed in her house. During First World War, Kandinsky – a Russian subject – is forced to leave Germany, whereas Münter spends several years in Scandinavia.

During the Nazi régime she’s (of course) labeled as "degenerate artist" and goes into a inner exile. After the war she is recognized as a major German artist.

Münter is one of the most important representatives of the Munich avant-garde from the beginning of the XX century, being a founding member of the artistic movement Der blaue Reiter (The Blue Rider), one of the currents of German Expressionism.

Portrait of Marianne von Werefkin 1909

In 2018, the Danish Louisiana Museum had a Gabriele Münter exhibition.

"Though perhaps not widely known yet, the German painter Gabriele Münter should be acknowledged for her striking contribution to the art of the twentieth century. Taking a present-day look at Münter, this exhibition is the first in several decades to unfold the many aspects of her long and multi-facetted artistic career."

1908