A private historic villa that was transformed into one of Munich's most beloved museums, the Lenbachhaus has reopened with a redesign by the renowned architect Norman Foster. Published to help celebrate the museum's reopening, this book offers a fresh perspective on the Lenbachhaus' most popular holdings: the works of the Blue Rider group of which the Lenbachhaus owns the largest collection worldwide. One of modern art's most influential forces, the Blue Rider movement was founded by a group of artists including Wassily Kandinsky, Alexej von Jawlensky, Marianne von Werefkin, Franz Marc, August Macke and Gabriele Munter. Although styles and aims varied from artist to artist, the group shared a common desire to express spiritual truths through their art. They believed in the promotion of modern art; the connection between visual art and music; and a spontaneous, intuitive approach to painting that is characteristic of German Expressionism. In addition to full colour illustrations of works by the artists of the Blue Rider group, this book features works not included in previous books, and a design that echoes that of the Lenbachhaus Museum. AUTHOR: Helmut Friedel is the Director of the Lenbachhaus in Munich. He has published numerous books on art. Annegret Hoberg is Curator at the Lenbachhaus in Munich, responsible for the Blue Rider collection and the Kubin archive. ILLUSTRATIONS: 250 colour