Label
Initially trained as a violinist, Feininger went to Germany in 1887 to pursue a musical education but soon switched his focus to drawing. He studied art in Germany and France while supporting himself as a cartoonist and illustrator for German and American periodicals and newspapers. In Paris he met a number of avant-garde artists, and soon developed a version of cubism that showed the influence of futurism and abstraction, featuring fragmented planes of color.
An obsessive draftsman, Feininger made thousands of sketches from nature, which he would then combine to create a final composition. In his landscapes, Feininger fused traditional subject matter with influences of modern art movements, creating his own distinctive style. In "Zirchow," Feininger's distinctive style is evident, featuring cubist elements, expressive washes of color, and blocky geometric shapes.