Fate of the Animals is an apocalyptic vision that reflected the atmosphere before the outset of World War I. On the back of the canvas, Marc placed an inscription: “And All Being is Flaming Suffering.” Like this inscription, the vision is a chaotic scene where the animals flee in terror from the flames. Through the use of diagonals, Marc constructed a very severe and organized composition, which provided balance and order to a scene of confusion and chaos. At the same time, the diagonals add to the tension and intensity of the painting by emphasizing the contrast between the tones of blue, red, and green.
Marc created the painting sometime before May 1913, and originally titled it The Trees Show Their Rings, The Animals Their Veins. However, following the advice of friend and artist, Paul Klee, he changed the name to Fate of the Animals. After Marc’s death, the painting was part of a memorial exhibition at the Sturm Gallery in Berlin. Subsequently, a fire broke out in the storage space of the gallery and damaged parts of the painting. Paul Klee worked on the restorations, and while he restored the linear structure of the painting, he did not try to replicate Marc’s color scheme. In the restored section on the right, the somber brownish tones lack the vitality and brightness of Marc’s original coloring. Following the restoration, the painting was purchased for the Moritzburg Museum in Halle. In 1936, it was confiscated by the Nazi Party, that labeled modern art as ‘degenerate art’. The painting resurfaced in 1939 when it was auctioned off with other confiscated works and bought by the Basel Kunstmuseum, where it still resides.
Marc’s vision of horror and destruction merged several sources of inspiration. Stylistically, Marc created a synthesis of elements from several art movements of the period: cubistic structures, futuristic ‘lines of force,’ and color treatment inspired by Orphism, which was developed by painters Robert and Sonya Delaunay. The natural elements in the painting were probably inspired by ancient Nordic myths, which were popularized by German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche and composer Richard Wagner. For example, the central motif of the tree relates to Yggdrasil, a giant world-ash tree that nourishes all spiritual and physical life in ancient Nordic cosmology. As such, the tree might be providing shelter and protection to the group of animals hiding on the right. In terms of subject, Marc’s apocalyptic image is linked to a story by French novelist, Gustav Flaubert, The Legend of Saint Julian the Hospitalier. Marc admired Flaubert, and just before Fate of the Animals, he painted St. Julian the Hospitaler (1913). In the story and Marc’s painting, Julian creates havoc and destruction, and his victims are animals. However, the destruction is necessary because it ultimately instigates Julian’s purification and redemption. Similarly, pre-war Expressionists, like Marc, believed that the corrupt and soulless society they lived in could only be reformed through radical change or destruction. This idea also manifests itself in Fate of the Animals: it is an apocalyptic vision that can lead to man’s redemption.
Fate of the Animals is a painting by Franz Marc created in 1913. It is oil on canvas. This work contrasts most of Marc's other works by presenting animals in a brutal way rather than depicting them in a peaceful manner. Marc's strong ties with animals as his subjects remains uncertain, but it is predicted to stem from his childhood dog. Fate of the Animals remains one of Marc's most famous pieces and displays Der Blaue Reiter style that he co-founded with Wassily Kandinsky. The painting currently resides in the Kunstmuseum in Basel, Switzerland.
The last third of the painting was damaged in a warehouse fire in 1916 after Marc's death and was later restored by one of his close friends, Paul Klee. Klee restored the painting using old photographs. He added a brownish tint to the paint creating an obvious variation from the rest of the painting. Scholars have yet to figure out his decision to paint with a brown tint. Many opinions on the subject have been given, although none have been proven.
The title of the work is known as Fate of the Animals in English. This stems from the German name Tierschicksale which figuratively translates to animal destinies. Paul Klee is also known for suggesting an alternate title: The trees show their rings, the animals their veins. This is from the evident tree rings present as well as the green horse on the right whose veins are visible on its body. On the back of the canvas is believed to be the subtitle of the painting, which translates to "And all being is flaming suffering."
Fate of the Animals's title derives from the chaotic scene depicted. There are animals scattered throughout the canvas in what is referred to as a post apocalyptic setting. The scene depicts a forest that is being destroyed by the flames that are evident all around. The painting consists of a blue deer in the middle of the canvas, two boars on the left side, two horses, above the boars, and four unidentified figures on the right. The four unidentified animals are believed to be either deer, foxes, or wolves. Most scholars believe that the animals are deer based on Marc's older works where he depicts them with the same colors and physical attributes.
It is a premonition to World War I that Marc experienced living in Germany. The brutality of the animals lives at the depicted moment reflected what the oncoming war would be doing to the people of the world. The destruction, the chaos, and the sadness that the viewer sees sums up the evident outcome the future war would bring.
The painting contains only diagonal lines. The lack of horizontal and vertical lines throughout the painting along with the deep colors, create tension. This tension further highlights the chaos and violence of the animals lives. These diagonals are emphasized in three primary ways: composition order, diagonal posture of the animals, and “the animal’s position in conformity with the diagonals." The diagonals also help with the narration by acting as fire sparks scattering across the canvas.
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