Heinrich Campendonk (1889-1957)

Heinrich Campendonk was a member of the German avant-garde artists’ group called Blaue Reiter, and he exhibited with them in 1911 and 1912. His closeness to his friends and fellow artists August Macke, Franz Marc, Paul Klee and Wassily Kandinsky is evident in this expressive watercolour of 1913. With its mystic-oriental motifs, such as the figure on the balcony, the lunar shapes and the horse, it illustrates Campendonk’s interest in the spiritual spheres, inspired by the poet Else Lasker-Schüler and shared with Franz Marc. Works from this period, in which his cubist style matured, are considered to be Campendonk’s most important production.