Lot Essay
The Blaue Reiter almanac, intended to be the first of a series of yearbooks, was the most important and innovative publication in the history of German Expressionist art. It is an anthology of works by various artists, comprising articles on folk art and primitive art as well as articles on literature, music and contemporary art.
Having established his publishing house in 1904, Reinhard Piper promoted contemporary German art by publishing prints and illustrated books by avant-garde artists. Kandinsky and Marc had been planning the publication of this book since their break-away from the Munich Neue Künstlervereinigung in June 1911. Asking discretion of his friend to keep the idea secret, Kandinsky first mentioned the plan of a yearbook to Marc in the following letter:
'Nun! ich habe einen neuen Plan. Piper muss Verlag besorgen und wir beide - die Redakteure sein. Eine Art Almanach (Jahres) mit Reproduktionen und Artikeln...und Chronik!! d.h. Berichte über Ausstellungen - Kritik, nur von Künstlern stammend. In dem Buch muss sich das ganze Jahr spiegeln, und eine Kette zur Vergangenheit und ein Strahl in die Zukunft müssen diesem Spiegel das volle Leben geben. ... Da bringen wir einen Ägypter neben einem kleinen Zeh.., einen Chinesen neben Rousseau, ein Volksblatt neben Picasso und dergleichen noch viel mehr!' (Quoted in Roethel, 1970, p. 450.)
The result is a heady mixture of explosive articles from various different sources. One finds theoretical treatises on artistic form (Über die Formfrage by Kandinsky) and articles on musical anarchy juxtaposed with illustrations of Benin sculpture and children's drawings. In a pivotal anarchic article entitled Die 'Wilden' Deutschlands Marc discusses the new forces in German art: Die Brücke, Neue Sezession, and Neue Vereinigung.
Der Blaue Reiter was published in 1912 in a standard edition of 1200 in a linen cover. The luxury edition, of which the present Almanac is a copy, was published in an edition of fifty while there was also a museum edition of only ten copies which contained an original drawing or watercolour. In his discussion of Der Blaue Reiter Roethel incorrectly describes the de-luxe edition as being bound in linen. The price of the luxury edition at the time of issue was 30 Deutschmark.
Having established his publishing house in 1904, Reinhard Piper promoted contemporary German art by publishing prints and illustrated books by avant-garde artists. Kandinsky and Marc had been planning the publication of this book since their break-away from the Munich Neue Künstlervereinigung in June 1911. Asking discretion of his friend to keep the idea secret, Kandinsky first mentioned the plan of a yearbook to Marc in the following letter:
'Nun! ich habe einen neuen Plan. Piper muss Verlag besorgen und wir beide - die Redakteure sein. Eine Art Almanach (Jahres) mit Reproduktionen und Artikeln...und Chronik!! d.h. Berichte über Ausstellungen - Kritik, nur von Künstlern stammend. In dem Buch muss sich das ganze Jahr spiegeln, und eine Kette zur Vergangenheit und ein Strahl in die Zukunft müssen diesem Spiegel das volle Leben geben. ... Da bringen wir einen Ägypter neben einem kleinen Zeh.., einen Chinesen neben Rousseau, ein Volksblatt neben Picasso und dergleichen noch viel mehr!' (Quoted in Roethel, 1970, p. 450.)
The result is a heady mixture of explosive articles from various different sources. One finds theoretical treatises on artistic form (Über die Formfrage by Kandinsky) and articles on musical anarchy juxtaposed with illustrations of Benin sculpture and children's drawings. In a pivotal anarchic article entitled Die 'Wilden' Deutschlands Marc discusses the new forces in German art: Die Brücke, Neue Sezession, and Neue Vereinigung.
Der Blaue Reiter was published in 1912 in a standard edition of 1200 in a linen cover. The luxury edition, of which the present Almanac is a copy, was published in an edition of fifty while there was also a museum edition of only ten copies which contained an original drawing or watercolour. In his discussion of Der Blaue Reiter Roethel incorrectly describes the de-luxe edition as being bound in linen. The price of the luxury edition at the time of issue was 30 Deutschmark.