The Blue Rider (Der Blaue Reiter)

The Blue Rider (Der Blaue Reiter) was an influential art movement founded in Munich in 1911 by a group of artists including Vasily Kandinsky and Franz Marc. The name "Blue Rider" is the title of a painting that Kandinsky created in 1903, but it is unclear whether it is the origin of the name of the movement. Kandinsky wrote 20 years later that the name was derived from Franz Marc's enthusiasm for horses and Kandinsky's love of riders, combined with a shared love of the color blue. Kandinsky's interest in spirituality and Marc's connection with animals deeply influenced the group's artistic philosophy.