Seated Imaginary Animal

'Seated Imaginary Animal' from 1913 at the Milwaukee Art Museum represents one of the most radical developments in Marc's animal series — the creation of entirely invented creatures that exist beyond the catalogue of observed nature. By 1913 Marc was approaching the threshold of complete abstraction, and the imaginary animal is a key step in that direction: a creature unbounded by the requirements of naturalistic representation, its form and colour free to express pure inner necessity. This connects to the Blaue Reiter's broader project of finding in 'primitive' art, children's art, and spiritually oriented cultures like medieval Europe or ancient civilisations a visual language untainted by the conventions of academic Western representation. An imaginary animal is also, in a sense, every animal — freed from the specific, it can embody the universal principle of animalness, the elemental vitality and spiritual harmony that Marc saw in all animal life. The paper support suggests this work was part of Marc's graphic production alongside his paintings, the more intimate scale and less permanent material allowing greater experimental freedom. The Milwaukee Art Museum's holding of this work reflects the extensive American collecting of German Expressionism following the Second World War.

On paper with painterly medium, this smaller-format work shows Marc working with greater experimental freedom than his large canvas compositions. The invented creature allows complete liberation from naturalistic colour and form constraints, enabling a purer application of his colour symbolism. The simplified, somewhat childlike quality of the animal form reflects the Blaue Reiter's admiration for pre-academic visual traditions.