August Macke (1887 - 1914)

August Macke’s work was closely related to that of the ‘Blue Rider’ group. The artist painted ‘Cathedral in Fribourg, Switzerland’, in 1913, during a period in which he was relaunching himself as an artist. Exchanges with his fellow painter Robert Delaunay were crucial for his paintings with rigid geometrical structures. Macke painted the work after a trip to Fribourg, where he was impressed by the gothic cathedral. The serene formal language is united with muted colours. Matt bluish grey tones predominate, with some accents of red and brown. The complementary motif of the steel tower to the right of the cathedral, which Macke used for reasons purely to do with the construction of the painting, rather than using historical buildings, may be seen as a striking deviation from reality and an artistic reminder of Delaunay’s Eiffel Tower paintings. ___