Writes Chadd Scott in Forbes, "Franz Marc and August Macke were shining lights of early 20th-century German art. They were friends. Both were killed in action in World War I..." An exhibit of their work in New York coincides with the 100th anniversary of the armistice of the Great War on November 11th, 2018 – the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month.

“Franz Marc and August Macke: 1909-1914” is an exhibition at New York's Neue Galerie (through Jan. 21, 2019) that explores the life and work of two German artists and the power of their friendship. In the four years prior to Macke’s death in 1914 (Marc himself died in 1916), they wrote each other scores of letters, visited each other’s homes, traveled together, and often discussed the development of their work. They shared ideas about art, and through their innovations helped create the movement known as Expressionism in early twentieth-century Germany. The exhibition focuses on Marc and Macke’s artistic relationship, how their lives intersected, and how their art was developed and received during their lifetimes.

Featuring approximately 70 paintings and works on paper, “Franz Marc and August Macke” is comprised of loans from public and private collections worldwide. While Marc has received acclaim in the United States, Macke has not become well known. This presentation at Neue Galerie New York is the first time that Macke’s work will be shown in an American museum exhibition, and the first exhibition in the United States on the relationship between these artists.

“Franz Marc and August Macke: 1909-1914” is organized by the Neue Galerie New York and the Musées d’Orsay et de l’Orangerie, Paris. The curator for the Neue Galerie is independent scholar Vivian Endicott Barnett. After its presentation in New York, the exhibition will travel to Paris, where it will be on view at the Musée de l’Orangerie from March 6 to June 17, 2019. This exhibition is made possible in part by the Neue Galerie President’s Circle.