Franz Marc, February 8, 1880–March 4, 1916, was a German painter and printmaker born in Munich. His father, Wilhelm Marc, was a painter. Marc studied at the Munich Academy of Fine Arts with Gabriel von Hackl and Wilhelm von Diez. He traveled to Paris during his early career and became especially interested in depicting animals.

Marc met August Macke and Wassily Kandinsky and, with Kandinsky, founded the Der Blaue Reiter group in 1911. The two artists edited its almanac, published in 1912. Marc also worked in drawing and printmaking.

He served in the German army during the First World War and was killed near Verdun in 1916. Major holdings of his work are at the Lenbachhaus in Munich and the Franz Marc Museum in Kochel am See; examples are also in the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, New York, and the Kunstmuseum Basel

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