The artwork titled “Farewell” was created by August Macke in 1914. This genre painting employs oil on cardboard as its medium and measures 101 by 130.5 cm. Macke’s piece is a representation from the Orphism art movement and is housed in the Museum Ludwig, located in Cologne, Germany.
“Farewell” by August Macke is a vivid and dynamic composition that captures the essence of a momentary, bustling scene which potentially reflects the social atmosphere of the period during which it was created. The use of color is bold and expressive, characteristic of the Orphist movement, which sought to infuse pure color in harmonious compositions. The painting features a group of figures, both adults and children, who are likely engaged in an act of parting, as suggested by the artwork’s title.
The figures are depicted with an abstract simplicity; facial features and finer details are omitted in favor of forms and colors that suggest movement and mood. The artwork’s brushwork contributes to a sense of immediacy and spontaneity, with a palette that ranges from warm reds and yellows to cooler blues and greens, creating a vibrant yet somewhat fragmented impression of the scene. The sense of farewell is conveyed not through explicit narrative detail, but through the arrangement of figures and the interplay of colors, evoking the emotional resonance of departure.
