August Macke (1887-1914) was a German painter whose harmonious and simple scenes of everyday life made a unique contribution to Expressionism.

Born on January 3, 1887, in Meschede, Germany, August Macke attended the Arts and Crafts School as well as the Academy of Fine Arts in Düsseldorf from 1906 to 1908. His career as an artist spanned only eight short years. He was killed on September 26, 1914, as a soldier in the first weeks of World War I. As a student he contributed costume and stage designs for the Düsseldorf theater (famous for its director and outstanding actress, Louise Dumont). Trips to Italy, Holland, and Belgium culminated in the first visit to Paris, financed by Bernhard Koehler, a famous collector and the uncle of Macke's future wife.

In 1908 Koehler went with Macke to Paris, visiting exhibits and artists, thus providing Macke with an introduction to Cubism and Fauvism, the...