August Macke (1887 – 1914) was born in Meschede, Germany. He was a renowned painter and the leader of an influential group of Expressionist artists known as Der Blaue Reiter. He studied at the Düsseldorf Academy from where he graduated in 1906. He visited Parish the following year and was greatly influenced by the works of the Impressionist painters. Macke began to emulate their style, painting portraits in subtly dappled colors. In that same year year, Macke studied in Berlin with Lovis Corinth, a German painter who was a leading proponent of Impressionist painting in Germany. He demonstrated ingenuity, self-direction, and independence that would become the hallmarks of his art life. He made frequent trips to Paris between 1907 and 1912, interacting with several artistic influences that ultimately combined to form his very own personal style.
While visiting Paris in 1909, Macke discovered the works of Fauve artists; this convinced him to use less-naturalistic, brighter colors, applied in broad brushstrokes. He also met Franz Marc, a young Expressionist painter, and the two began to work closely, and developed a more colorful and abstract style. Later on, Macke joined Der Blaue Reiter, which had been founded by Wassily Kandinsky and Marc.
In his artwork, Macke combined the many styles he had discovered. He rendered his figures in graceful lines and flat colors reminiscent of Matisse. The backgrounds were sweeping and abstract, having bright patches of color that were distinctly in the manner of Kandinsky. Throughout the evolution of his style, he remained faithful to Impressionist subject matter, portraying contemporary scenes of urban leisure. Currently, framed August Macke art are on display in many art galleries throughout the world.