Gabriele Münter (1877–1962) was a pioneering German painter and one of the founding members of Der Blaue Reiter (The Blue Rider), an influential group of Expressionist artists formed in 1911. Though this group did not adhere to a single artistic style, its members were united by a shared goal of expressing spirituality and transcendence through art.
In 1908, Münter settled in the town of Murnau, near Munich, where she envisioned creating a utopian community of artists, removed from the distractions and complexities of urban life. For her, the rural landscape represented a kind of spiritual purity, which became a central theme in her work. The simplicity and vibrancy of the natural environment inspired Münter’s distinct expressionistic style, which often featured bold colors and simplified forms.
