Tigers (Tiger)

Tigers (Tiger) by Franz Marc is a highly expressive woodcut created in 1912. This piece exemplifies the radical shift toward abstraction characterizing German Expressionism, specifically Marc’s involvement with the foundational Der Blaue Reiter group. The year 1912 marks a high point in Marc’s spiritualized theory of form; although he is widely known for his vibrant oil paintings, this particular print relies heavily on stark contrasts and dynamic line work inherent in the medium.

As a woodcut, the work utilizes the subtractive printing technique, forcing Marc to distill his subject into essential planar shapes. The composition features the powerful feline subjects rendered not realistically, but through crystalline, interlocking geometric forms that often merge the animals with their surrounding environment. Marc sought to depict the innate spirituality and inner life of animals, believing them to possess a purity lost in human existence. This abstract, rhythmic representation transforms the tigers’ natural energy into a symbolic force, emphasizing motion and internal structure rather than surface appearance.

Marc's embrace of the woodcut technique reflects the period's broader interest among German artists in harnessing the primitive power and unmediated emotion found in non-academic art forms. The raw, angular quality of the resulting prints perfectly conveyed the emotional intensity and psychological depth characteristic of the Expressionist movement. This singular work, a fundamental example of Expressionist graphic art from the key year of 1912, is classified as a German print and resides within the prestigious collection of the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA), underscoring its historical importance.