Images from: Franz Marc, Else Lasker-Schüler, “Der Blaue Reiter präsentiert Eurer Hoheit mit sein Blaues Pferd” Karten und Briefe, edited and commentated by Peter-Klaus Schuster, Prestel, Munich, 1987.
Franz Marc
1. Der Blaue Reiter mit seinem Pferd / The Blue Rider with his Horse, 1912, watercolor and ink, 154X114 mm.
Letter from Munich, December 8(?) 1912, to Lasker-Schüler in Berlin.
Text on the front side: The Blue Rider presents his blue horse to your majesty. Greetings from my wife, your Fz. M. Berlin W2, behind the Catholic Church, at Dr. Franck’s
Backside unmarked.
2. Der Turm der Blauen Pferde / The Tower of Blue Horses, 1912/1913, watercolor, 143X94 mm.
Postcard from Berlin, end of December 1912 or beginning of January 1913, to Lasker-Schüler in Berlin.
Backside: Many, many thanks dear friend for the beautiful books and the dedication and the greeting to my Mareia. Shall we meet on Saturday? Unfortunately, we can’t in the evening, but anytime you want in the day. Write or phone us, yes? Happy New Year, and greetings to Paulchen, Your Fz. M. and M.
This postcard is the only remaining colored preparation for Marc’s famous painting “The Tower of Blue Horses” which was completed in May 1913 and disappeared during the Second World War.
3. Zwe Blaue Pferde / Two Blue Horses, 1913, watercolor and aquarelle, page size 224X176 mm, picture size 95X55 mm.
Letter from Sindelsdorf, January 26th to Lasker-Schüler in Munich.
4. Die drei Panther des Königs Jussuf / The Three Panthers of King Jussuf, 1913, watercolor and aquarelle, 138X90 mm.
Postcard from Sindelsdorf, February 6, 1913, to Lasker-Schüler, then visiting in Munich.
Backside: Frau Lasker-Schüler/ Prince and Poet/ In Munich/ Pension Modern/ Theresienstr. 80
Dear Friend, Good Journey! Write immediately how things are going, everything everything. Tell me – has nothing been left for me in the Pension by the Jeweler (Seinburger, Schellingstr. 23)?
5. Aus den Jagdgefilden des Prinzen Jussuf / From the Hunting Grounds of Prinz Jussuf, 1913, watercolor and aquarelle, 145X93 mm.
Postcard from Sindelsdorf, February 23, 1913, to Lasker Schüler in Berlin.
Backside: Frau/ Else Lasker-Schüler/ Berlin Grunewald/ Humboldstrasse 13 II.
Dear friend, no news are good news. – So at least we hope and greet you a thousand times. We are doing wonderfully, the whole day is spent painting or eating or sleeping... Your Fz. Ma. and Marei.
p.s. Why are you not sending me the Werfel book? Please!
6. Zitronenpferd und Feuerochse des Prinzen Jussuf / Prinz Jussuf’s Lemon-horse and Fire-ox, 1913, watercolor and aquarelle, 140X99 mm.
Postcard from Sindelsdorf, March 9, 1913, to Lasker-Schüler in Berlin.
Backside: Frau Else Lasker-Schüler/ Star-poet/ in Berlin/ Grunewald/ Humboldstrasse 13 II.
Dear beloved Prince, it was good of you to write our mother, she was very pleased. So many stars flicker into our bedroom, that we do not need to light a star-nightlight, that’s how happy we are! We are delighted with the März-letters, and have already ordered them for ourselves. A kiss from your blue children.
März-letters - a reference to Lasker-Schüler’s publication of her literary “Letters to the Blue Rider” in the journal März.
7. Das Spielpferd des Königs Abigail/ King Abigail’s Play-horse, 1913, watercolor and aquarelle, 139x90 mm
Postcard from Sindelsdorf, March 14th, 1913, to Lasker-Schüler in Hagen.
Dear Prince, The Dragonfly is 15 years old, and once cost 50 M at Tietz, the backside is wax, it cannot at all compete with the most beautiful glittering fountain pen and the jewel, and indeed it did not intend to. It flew away from Mareia after 15 years of service to the pinewoods of Grunewald and you have captured it there…
This postcard was sent to Hagen, where Lasker-Schüler had been invited by Karl Ernst Osthaus, founder and director of a local Museum, to read her poetry. It apparently refers to the gifts exchanged between Lasker-Schüler and the Marcs.
8. Das heilige Kälbschen/ The Holy Calf, 1913, watercolor and aquarelle, 140x90 mm.
Postcard from Sidelsdorf, April 1913m to Else Lasker-Schüler in Munich.
This holy calf was found sleeping in the garden of the palace on the day of Prinz Jussuf’s accession to the Throne.
Backside: It was good of you to come with us on the train. The hearts tasted good and our Mario was royally pleased and sends many thanks. We wish you many friends in Prague, Your Frz and Mareia = faithfully.
This card was sent immediately after Lasker-Schüler met the Marc’s in Munich on her way to Prague, where she was to give a public reading of her poetry. Lasker-Schüler chose to use this image as an illustration for her Book, The Prince of Thebes, which appeared in 1914.
9. Drei Tiere am blauen Berg/ Three Animals at the Blue Mountain, 1913, watercolor, aquarelle, ink and silver paper, 141x91 mm.
Postcard from Sindelsdorf, April 27th, 1913, to Lasker-Schüler in Berlin.
Backside:
Frau/ Else Lasker Schüler/ Poet/ Berlin Grunewald/ 13, Humbuldstrasse 13
Dear, how are you doing? It must be going better. Write us!
10. Der Traumfelsen/ The Dreamrock, 1913, watercolor, aquarelle and ink, 142x89 mm.
Postcard from Berlin, September 21st, 1913, to Lasker-Schüler in Berlin.
Backside:
Dear Jussuf, come out from your hole to us at the dreamrock. There one can be silent and love oneself. Then one does not come upon such stupid ideas as the one with which you opened your letter. Berlin is a sick dreamground. Come to our hill. We leave early Tuesday. Monday still tied to the house.
Stay fond of us – Yours.
This letter, written when Marc was in Berlin to organize the ‘First German Autumn Exhibition’ (Ersten Deutschen Herbstsalon) refers to Lasker-Schuler’s “Letters to the Blue Rider” which had recently appeared in the Journal Aktion. The ‘stupid idea’ that opens the first letter is a description of Lasker-Schüler’s room as an Opium den and a dump. Marc invites Lasker-Schüler to idylic Sindelsdorf, which is a much better stone on which to dream than the sick city.
11. Schloss Ried/ Ried Pallace, 1914, aquarelle, 115x177 mm.
Postcard from Ried bei Bnediktbeuern, April(?) 1914, to Lasker Schüler in Berlin.
Backside: Dear Jussuf, I send this picture to Paul, I’ve painted it for him, so that he too can see what our palace looks like. Hoch Jussuf! Yours.
The text is written in Marc’s hand, above the printed announcement of the engagement of Berta Hugger and Emil Büchler, which Marc used as paper for this card.
The palace that the card depicts for Lasker-Schüler’s son Paul is the new Villa that the Marc’s moved into in April 1914.
Else Lasker-Schüler
Some of these painting belonged to a ‘Konvolut’ that Lasker-Schüler prepared during 1915, sold in the beginning of 1916.
1. Wilder Jussuf mit Fackel/ Jussuf the Wild with a Torch, 1913, black ink, 140x90 mm.
Postcard from Berlin November 1st, 1913, to Franz Marc in Sindelsdorf.
Backside – Herrn Franz Marc/ and Mareia/ Sindelsdorf bei Penzberg/ (Oberbayern)
The City of Thebes is delighted with the chamois, and I the Kaiser am most touched. My self portrait is tamed. What can I say to all the lovely gifts? Your dear brother.
2. Maria von Nazareth und ihr Kindlein/ Marie of Nazareth and her Child, 1913, feather with India ink and colored pencils, 149x97 mm.
A black and white copy of this image was used as an illustration of Lasker-Schüler’s book Der Prinz von Theben. Ein Geschichtenbuch (1914).
3. Selbstbildniss als Prinz Jussuf / Self Portrait as Prince Jussuf, ca 1913, feather with ink and colored pencils, 193x175 mm.
4. Die Hauptleute gehen für ihren Kaiser auf Raub aus/ The Captains go out to Loot for their Kaiser, ca 1915, feather and colored chalks, 230x215 mm.
5. Selbstbildnis im Sternenmantel/ Self Portrait in a Star-Cloak, ca 1913, Feather and brush with India ink and colored pencils, 155x115 mm.
6. Jussuf Spielt mit Giselheers Mägdelein/ Jussuf Plays with Giselheer’s maiden, ca 1915, feather and colored chalks, 157x125 mm
Giselheer was the name Lasker-Schüler used for her friend Gottfried Benn.
7. Abigail auf dem Thron/ Abigail on the Throne, ca 1915, feather and colored chalks, 184x216 mm.
8. Calmus Jezowa der sanfte Häuptling erinnert den leichtlebigen Jussuf an seine Krone/ The Gentle Chieftain Calmus Jezowa Reminds lighthearted Jussuf of his Crown, ca 1915, feather with ink and colored pencils, 180x140 mm.
9. Die beiden Spielgefährten Jussuf und Mêmêd Laurencis/ The two Playmates Jussuf and Mêmêd Laurencis, ca 1915, feather with ink and colored pencils, 214x137 mm.
10. Jussuf eilt reumütig zu seinem Häuptling und Hohenpriester Calmus/ Jussuf Remorsefully Hurries to his Cheiftain and High-Priest Cakmus, ca 1915, feather and colored chalks on salmon-red paper, 207x163 mm.
11. Baum mit erhängten Jussuf/ Tree with Hanging Jussuf, ca 1915, feather and black and colored chalks, 272x216 mm
Text: Jussuf hung himself, nonetheless the Thebans thought that Ossman had done the noosing on his behalf.