Gabriele Münter – Gallery of the rider of Expressionism

Gabriele Münter - the dark rider of Expressionism, the savior of the most extensive collection of works by members of "The Blue Rider," an expressive artist who seeks inner states.

Yes, perhaps Gabriele became famous for her fate, her connection with Kandinsky, and not just her painting. But if that’s how it happened—then it wasn’t in vain. A girl with a difficult destiny, educated and determined, shaped cause-and-effect relationships that touched many and gave birth to the unique art of the avant-garde artists of "The Blue Rider." The hostess of the famous "Russian House" in Murnau, where she lived alongside Vasily Kandinsky, Alexej von Jawlensky, and Marianne Werefkin.

Gabriele Münter’s works are diverse—she is a sensitive portraitist who captures the character and temperament of her models with pure, contrasting colors and large, flat forms. She is also a subtle landscape painter whose compositions are rhythmic and fluid, with bold and solemn expressionistic color patches.

She is best known as the beloved companion of Vasily Kandinsky, with whom she lived in the Bavarian town of Murnau. Often, the work of female artists who happen to be partners of famous artists is doomed to eternal obscurity in the shadow of genius. Unfortunately, this is what happened to Gabriele Münter. At the same time, many experts on Kandinsky’s work agree that without his interaction with Münter, the art of the Russian father of abstraction would have been very different. Though she may not be well-known outside Germany, her paintings are considered true treasures in Murnau. Most of her paintings are love letters to this picturesque town.

Gabriele bought a house near Munich, in the town of Murnau. This house was nicknamed the "Russian House": life there was vibrant, guest rooms were always occupied, artist friends like Jawlensky, Werefkin, Franz Marc, and August Macke would stay for long periods. In the evenings, plans for the future almanac "The Blue Rider" were written, and the works of post-impressionists and Fauvists were discussed. During this period, Gabriele Münter had her first successful exhibitions, marking a creative breakthrough, the discovery of her style, and her temperament.

Gabrielle Münter - Am hugel staffelsee

1908, 35 × 33 cm

Gabrielle Münter - Country road in autumn

1908, 33 × 41 cm

Gabrielle Münter - Dammerung

1908, 26 × 39 cm

Gabrielle Münter - Der blaue berg

1908, 26 × 35 cm

Gabrielle Münter - Dorfstraße

1908, 33 × 40 cm

Gabrielle Münter - Dorfstrasse in murnau

1908, 33 × 41 cm

Gabrielle Münter - Gasse in murnau

1908, 33 × 41 cm

Gabrielle Münter - Haus in murnau

1908, 33 × 41 cm

Gabrielle Münter - Kirchlein von riedhausen

1908, 33 × 41 cm

Gabrielle Münter - Kohlgruberstrasse

1908, 26 × 40 cm

Gabrielle Münter - Main streetin murneau

1908, 60 × 50 cm

Gabrielle Münter - Schoolhouse murnau

1908, 40 × 33 cm

Gabrielle Münter - Mountains in the twilight

1908, 45 × 35 cm

Gabrielle Münter - Staffelsee

1908, 33 × 40 cm

Gabrielle Münter - Staffelsee

1908, 49 × 65 cm

Gabrielle Münter - Staffelsee mit rotem haus

1908, 22 × 17 cm

Gabrielle Münter - Study of a hay wagon

1908, 33 × 41 cm

Gabrielle Münter - The yellow house

1908, 32 × 40 cm

Gabrielle Münter - View from her brothers house in bonn

1908, 19 × 13 cm

Gabrielle Münter - Zaunschatten

1908, 33 × 41 cm

Gabrielle Münter - Gehoft in murnau

1909, 33 × 41 cm

Gabrielle Münter - Heuhocken in murnau

1909, 25 × 34 cm

Gabrielle Münter - Seelandschaft mit drei kugelbaumen

1909, 50 × 38 cm

Gabrielle Münter - Sonne im moos

1909, 26 × 35 cm

Gabrielle Münter - Winter landscape

1909, 13 × 18 cm

Gabrielle Münter - Autumnal landscape

1910, 33 × 40 cm

Gabrielle Münter - Berglandschaft mit haus

1910, 31 × 44 cm

Gabrielle Münter - Bergwiese

1910, 33 × 41 cm

Gabrielle Münter - Blick aufs murnauer moos blaue berge

1910, 33 × 41 cm

Gabrielle Münter - Dorfstrasse in blau

1910, 35 × 26 cm

Gabrielle Münter - Generalsvilla

1910, 32 × 41 cm

Gabrielle Münter - Landscape with church

1910, 33 × 45 cm

Gabrielle Münter - Landschaft mit Sonnenblumen

1910

Gabrielle Münter - Wind und wolken

1910, 50 × 65 cm

Gabrielle Münter - Lower main street murnau

1910, 41 × 34 cm

Gabrielle Münter - Abendwolken

1911, 51 × 62 cm

Gabrielle Münter - Berge wolken villa

1911, 33 × 41 cm

Gabrielle Münter - Gelbes haus

1911, 65 × 50 cm

Gabrielle Münter - Landstrasse im schnee

1911

Gabrielle Münter - Stillleben mit madonna

1911, 91 × 70 cm

Gabrielle Münter - View vereiste strasse

1911, 35 × 41 cm

Gabrielle Münter - Yellow haus

1911, 51 × 75 cm

Gabrielle Münter - Haus in schwabing

1912, 25 × 28 cm

Gabrielle Münter - Iris und hyazinthe

1913, 41 × 27 cm

Gabrielle Münter - Strassendurchstich

1913, 55 × 46 cm

Gabrielle Münter - Bauernhaus bei regen

1914, 33 × 41 cm

Gabrielle Münter - Dame im park mariahalde

1914, 33 × 41 cm

Gabrielle Münter - Mariaholde zum unteren thor

1914, 33 × 45 cm

Gabrielle Münter - Bouquet of flowers

1915, 40 × 30 cm

Gabrielle Münter - Abstrakt

1915, 41 × 33 cm

Gabrielle Münter - Studie auf blau

1915, 40 × 52 cm

Gabrielle Münter - Narvik hafen

1916, 47 × 64 cm

Gabrielle Münter - Tjellebotten from norway

1917, 55 × 72 cm

Gabrielle Münter - Rotes moos

1919, 33 × 41 cm

Gabrielle Münter - Birkenallee

1923, 33 × 41 cm

Gabrielle Münter - Murnauer landschaft

1923, 33 × 45 cm

Gabrielle Münter - Frühlingsstudie mit kirche murnau

1924, 33 × 45 cm

Gabrielle Münter - Sonnenuntergang

1924, 33 × 41 cm

Gabrielle Münter - Fuchsie vor mondlandschaft

1928, 57 × 68 cm

Upon learning about Kandinsky’s new wife, Münter stopped painting for ten years. Many years passed before she picked up the brush again and finally met someone she could connect her life with—an art historian named Johannes Eichner. Gabriele spent the rest of her life in the "Russian House," never seeking out interactions with artists or participation in big exhibitions or avant-garde groups. She painted quiet evening views from the window of her house and bright landscapes of Murnau.

Gabrielle Münter - Blauer kegelberg

1930, 45 × 38 cm

Gabrielle Münter - Gypsy caravan

1930, 38 × 46 cm

Gabrielle Münter - Abend bei furstalm

1931, 33 × 41 cm

Gabrielle Münter - Das russen haus

1931, 43 × 57 cm

Gabrielle Münter - Herbstallee

1931, 45 × 33 cm

Gabrielle Münter - Herbstlandschaft mit braunem baum

1931, 33 × 41 cm

Gabrielle Münter - Landschaft am staffelsee

1931, 32 × 44 cm

Gabrielle Münter - Murnau baume am hagenweg abend

1931, 33 × 45 cm

Gabrielle Münter - Staffelsee

1931, 33 × 45 cm

Gabrielle Münter - Staffelsee mit nebelsonne

1931, 33 × 40 cm

Gabrielle Münter - Moorbach mit häusern im schnee

1932, 33 × 45 cm

Gabrielle Münter - Nordhang

1932, 41 × 32 cm

Gabrielle Münter - Nordhang staffesee

1932, 41 × 33 cm

Gabrielle Münter - Schnee im herbst

1932, 39 × 46 cm

Gabrielle Münter - Staffelsee

1932, 33 × 45 cm

Gabrielle Münter - Berglandschaft mit kirche und gewitterwolke

1933, 33 × 45 cm

Gabrielle Münter - Hauser im schnee

1933, 47 × 39 cm

Gabrielle Münter - Stillleben mit hinterglasbild

1933, 38 × 46 cm

Gabrielle Münter - Winter in elmau

1933, 33 × 45 cm

Gabrielle Münter - Blumen auf weiss

1934, 46 × 38 cm

Gabrielle Münter - Hauptstrasse mit mann

1934, 40 × 33 cm

Gabrielle Münter - Murnauer hauptstrasse mit pferdefuhrwerk

1934, 35 × 27 cm

Gabrielle Münter - Blumenbild vor blaeschwarzem grund

1935, 45 × 33 cm

Gabrielle Münter - Kirche an der ramsach

1935, 43 × 52 cm

Gabrielle Münter - Straßendurchstich im winter

1935, 33 × 41 cm

Gabrielle Münter - Aus siglingen an du jagst

1938, 19 × 13 cm

Gabrielle Münter - Baumende wolke uber der burg murnau

1939, 73 × 54 cm

Gabrielle Münter - Winter landscape

1939, 22 × 26 cm

Gabrielle Münter - Haus am hang

1940, 38 × 46 cm

Gabrielle Münter - Murnauer moos

1946

Gabrielle Münter - Stilleben sonnenblumen

1946, 63 × 49 cm

Gabrielle Münter - Clematis

1947, 46 × 37 cm

Evaluating the work of Gabriele Münter, relying on our own judgments and criteria, sense of taste, and the emotional impact of a woman who embodied a passionate artist, we select the masterpieces of the horsewoman of Expressionism. One of the dynasty’s criteria states:

Emotion is beautiful in its purity, where there is no extraneous noise.

The four selected works by Münter are pure emotions embedded in the canvas by a woman’s hand devoted to art. According to Gostev's, these works convey one precise and vivid idea — Gabriele Münter’s love for painting:

Gabrielle Münter - Landschaft mit wolken

1908, 33 × 41 cm

Gabrielle Münter - Flieder mit apfelsinen

1909, 38 × 51 cm

Gabrielle Münter - Fruits and flowers

1909, 50 × 50 cm

Gabrielle Münter - Javlensky und werefkin

1909, 33 × 45 cm

In her late creative period, after returning to Germany, the artist predominantly painted portraits and landscapes. Art historians consider her work "Three Houses in the Snow" a vivid example of her mature style, with its grouping of main elements into large blocks, bright palette, black outlines, and smooth application of paint. In subsequent years, Gabriela focused on still lifes, such as "Flowers at Night" (1941). She participated in exhibitions, was a member of the Association of German Artists, and in the 1950s turned to abstractionism. The Dark Rider passed away in her home in Murnau at the age of 85, surpassing Kandinsky not necessarily in fame or price for her canvases but certainly in fidelity to herself and nobility— in 1957, the artist donated her entire preserved collection of Kandinsky’s paintings and works by former members of "The Blue Rider" to the Lenbachhaus municipal gallery.

As for the prices of Münter’s works, in 2008, three works by the German artist were auctioned at Christie’s day sales. Of the three paintings, two were views of Murnau. One of them, "Street in Murnau," was valued at $500,000–700,000, and another—"Country Road in Murnau"—at $400,000–600,000. The estimate for another painting, "Still Life with Gnome," was also $400,000–600,000.

In the spring of 2022, a small oil painting (41.6 × 50.7 cm) by German artist Gabriele Münter titled "Yellow House with Apple Tree" (1910) sold at Christie’s for an impressive £1,782,000. Meanwhile, Wassily Kandinsky fetched $41.8 million.

Evaluating an artist’s potential, including investment potential, depends on many factors. In Münter’s case, it’s simply fate, luck, and perseverance in her quest for expression through painting.
At the bottom of the page, you’ll find investment-worthy paintings you can confidently invest in.

Gostev Jr., Co-founder of Gostev's & CEO of FABER VISUM