Origins & Early Life

August Robert Ludwig Macke (3 January 1887 – 26 September 1914) was a German Expressionist painter. He was one of the leading members of the German Expressionist group Der Blaue Reiter (The Blue Rider). He lived during a particularly active time for German art: he saw the development of the main German Expressionist movements as well as the arrival of the successive avant-garde movements which were forming in the rest of Europe. As an artist of his time, Macke knew how to integrate into his painting the elements of the avant-garde which most interested him.

Pivotal Works & Achievements

Like his friend Franz Marc and Otto Soltau, he was one of the young German artists who died in the First World War. August Robert Ludwig Macke was born in Germany on 3 January 1887, in Meschede, Westphalia. He was the only son of August Friedrich Hermann Macke (1845–1904), a building contractor and amateur artist, and his wife, Maria Florentine, née Adolph, (1848–1922), who came from a farming family in Westphalia's Sauerland region. Shortly after August's birth the family settled at Cologne, where Macke was educated at the Kreuzgymnasium (1897–1900) and became a friend of Hans Thuar, who also became an artist....

Enduring Legacy & Impact

The historical impact and works continue to influence the modern world.

Contemporary Figures & Related Historical Timelines

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• Bill Gold — Shared historical date (01-03 · Born) (1921): Pioneering American graphic designer celebrated for iconic film poster art.
• Béla Bartók — Shared historical date (09-26 · Died) (1945): Pioneering Hungarian composer, pianist, and ethnomusicologist of the 20th century.
• Bessie Smith — Shared historical date (09-26 · Died) (1937): The "Empress of the Blues," Bessie Smith dominated the sound of the 1930s.
• 1887 Historical Timeline & Archive — Explore world events and figures from 1887
• January 3 (01-03) On This Day — Historical birthdays and events on January 3
• 1914 Historical Timeline & Archive — Explore world events and figures from 1914
• September 26 (09-26) On This Day — Historical events and memorials on September 26