An abstracted representation of an antelope, constructed of multiple expressive black and white brushstrokes. It rests upon a geometric surface of yellow, blue, and green.
An abstracted representation of an antelope, constructed of multiple expressive black and white brushstrokes. It rests upon a geometric surface of yellow, blue, and green.
Previous image 1 2 3 / 3 Next image

Franz Marc

Antilope (The Antelope)

Maker

Franz Marc (German, 1880-1916)

Title

Antilope (The Antelope)

Year

1912

Medium

Materials/Techniques

Techniques

Materials

gouache, watercolor

Supports

Dimensions

35.6 x 43.8 cm (14 x 17 1/4 inches)

Signature / Inscription / Marks

Signed in LR:M.

Credit / Object Number

Credit

Museum Appropriation Fund

Object Number

38.135

Type

Provenance

By 1927, Herbert von Garvens-Garvensburg, Hannover [1]; 1930, purchased from the previous by the Provenzialmuseum Hannover (now the Landesmuseum, Hannover) [2]; 1930 - 1937, in the collection of the Provenzialmuseum Hannover [3]; 1937 - 1939, confiscated by the German Reich Ministry of Propaganda and Public Enlightenment [4]; purchased November 1, 1938 through (Karl Buchholz Gallery, Berlin, and Karl Buchholz Gallery, 32 East 47th Street, New York) and through (an unidentified Minister of the German government, perhaps Franz Hofmann) by the RISD Museum, with the transaction finalized in early 1939 [4] [5]

Publications

Exhibition History

Dreams and Nightmares
German Graphic Arts, 1900 - 1933
Nov 05, 2004 – Jan 23, 2005

Label copy

Marc dreamed of a spiritual unity in art expressed through color, symbolism, and increasing abstraction. The contours and markings of the dreaming antelope echo the forms of the landscape, emphasizing the innocence of the creature, far removed from urban life.

Under the National Socialist government, Marc’s work was declared “degenerate,” and Antelope was seized by the government from the state collection of the Landesmuseum, Hannover. Because the Landesmuseum collection was owned by the government, this seizure and sale was a legal transaction. In 1938, risd Museum Director Alexander Dorner, who had first bought this painting while director of the Landesmuseum, purchased it for the second time in his career, on this occasion for RISD.

"The Center Cannot Hold"
Art from 1900-1920
Mar 01, 1999 – Jul 01, 1999
Expressionist Visions
Prints and Drawings from the Museum's Collection
Dec 04, 1992 – Jan 24, 1993
German Expressionist Prints and Drawings
Jun 20, 1986 – Aug 16, 1986
Exchange Exhibition of Paintings from Rose Museum, Brandeis University
Feb 16, 1967 – Apr 02, 1967

Image use

The images on this website can enable discovery and collaboration and support new scholarship, and we encourage their use.

Public Domain This object is in the Public Domain and available under a CC0 1.0 Universal (CC0 1.0) Public Domain Dedication

Tombstone

Franz Marc (German, 1880-1916)
Antilope (The Antelope), 1912
Gouache and watercolor on paper mounted on board
35.6 x 43.8 cm (14 x 17 1/4 inches)
Museum Appropriation Fund 38.135

To request new photography, please send an email to imagerequest@risd.edu and include your name and the object's accession number.