Author Description

Did an American influence the style of one of the most important groups of European artists in the 20th century? American artist Albert Bloch lived in Munich from 1909 to 1921, where he met and worked with Wassily Kandinsky and Franz Marc, the founders of the revolutionary Blue Rider Group. Until now, he has hardly been mentioned in any of the major accounts of the group. Albert Bloch: The American Blue Rider examines Bloch's complete oeuvre, including six paintings he contributed to the first Blue Rider exhibition, with illustrations of all his key works in color. An extensive anthology includes his correspondence with Kandinsky, Marc and other well-known contemporaries, as well as the texts of the lectures he gave after he returned to America in 1923 to teach. These include the 'Denver Lecture' in which he provides a unique perspective from within the times and talents of the Blue Rider artists. To preserve the literary style and integrity of Bloch's writings, these are reprinted in either the English or German language in which they were originally written. The publication of this material for the first time in Albert Bloch: The American Blue Rider is certain to arouse great interest, adding a new dimension to the history of the Blue Rider.