Tyrol by Franz Marc, Oil Painting

Tyrol by Franz Marc is one of his last works that was painted before his death at the age of 36 during the Battle of Verdun. It is a dark departure from his earlier playful works like the "Yellow Cow". Tyrol is a scene of catastrophic destruction in which the sky has split and an exploding world is causing the destruction of a defenseless village. Two small white huts stand on a hill, low on the canvas, next to two dead trees. In the foreground is another thin, burnt tree stump that crosses the canvas diagonally. The branches of this tree form a huge scythe symbolizing death.