Gabriele Munter Paintings

Gabriele Münter was a German expressionist painter and printmaker, and was one of the few prominent women artists active in the early 20th century's avant-garde movement. She was born on February 19, 1877, in Berlin, Germany, and she began her artistic education at the 'Damen-Kunststudium' in Düsseldorf in 1901. In 1902, Münter moved to Munich, where she studied at the Phalanx School, an avant-garde institution where she met Russian painter Wassily Kandinsky, who would become her lifelong partner and collaborator.

Münter and Kandinsky were part of the expressionist group Der Blaue Reiter (The Blue Rider), founded in 1911. This group was central to the development of expressionism in Germany. Münter's work from this period is characterized by bold color and a simplified, almost naive style. She often painted landscapes, portraits, and still lifes, drawing inspiration from the folk art and the natural surroundings of Bavaria, where she lived for much of her life.

During World War I, Münter and Kandinsky lived in Switzerland, and after the war, they returned to Germany. The relationship between Münter and Kandinsky eventually ended, and after their separation, Münter's artistic work entered a period of decline. However, she continued to paint and preserve Kandinsky's early works, which she kept in her house in Murnau am Staffelsee.

After Kandinsky's death in 1944, Münter began to receive recognition for her role in the German avant-garde. She donated many of Kandinsky's works as well as her own to the Städtische Galerie im Lenbachhaus in Munich. Her contribution to the collection helped establish it as a major center for the study of German expressionism.

Münter lived a long life and continued to paint until her later years. She is remembered for her vibrant use of color and her contribution to the expressionist movement. Gabriele Münter passed away on May 19, 1962, in her home in Murnau, leaving behind a legacy as an important figure in modern art.