Paul Klee: Modern Art Between Abstraction and Expressionism

Artistic Training and Influences

From music to the fine arts

Paul Klee (1879–1940), a major figure of 20th-century art, began his artistic career through music. Born into a family of musicians near Berne, Switzerland, he studied the violin from an early age. This musical training would profoundly influence his approach to pictorial art throughout his career. In 1898, Klee turned toward the visual arts and enrolled at the Munich Academy of Fine Arts, marking the beginning of his journey as a painter.

Influence of Der Blaue Reiter and German Expressionism

In Munich, Klee befriended Wassily Kandinsky and became a member of the artist group Der Blaue Reiter (The Blue Rider). This association with the German Expressionist avant-garde played a crucial role in the development of his artistic style. Expressionism, with its emphasis on emotion and subjectivity, became a key element of Klee's approach, and he began exploring the possibilities of abstraction and color to express inner realities.

Don't limit yourself to reading about the master's genius. Discover the artworks of Paul Klee to elevate your décor.

The Revelation of Color and Abstraction

The journey to Tunisia: a decisive turning point

In 1914, Klee undertook a journey to Tunisia with his fellow artists August Macke and Louis Moilliet. This stay marked a decisive turning point in his career. Fascinated by the light and intense colors of North Africa, Klee experienced a genuine artistic revelation. He wrote in his diary: "Color possesses me. I don't have to pursue it. It will possess me always, I know it. That is the meaning of this happy hour: color and I are one. I am a painter." This experience radically transformed his approach to color and composition.

Developing a theory of color and geometric forms

Following this revelation, Klee developed a sophisticated theory of color and geometric forms. He began experimenting with abstraction, creating compositions that blend geometric forms and vivid colors. His works from this period, such as Abstraction with Reference to a Flowering Tree (1926), illustrate his growing mastery of geometric abstraction while retaining subtle references to the natural world.

The Bauhaus Experience and the Theorization of Art

Innovative teaching at Weimar and Dessau

In 1920, Walter Gropius invited Klee to join the teaching staff of the Bauhaus, first at Weimar and then at Dessau. For more than a decade, Klee taught the theory of form and color there. His pedagogical approach, combining theory and practice, profoundly influenced a new generation of artists and designers. At the Bauhaus, Klee developed and refined his ideas about art, contributing to the elaboration of an innovative artistic pedagogy.

Contributions to the theory of pictorial form

Klee's Bauhaus courses, compiled in his Writings on Art, constitute a major contribution to the theory of modern art. There he developed concepts such as "pictorial rhythm" and explored the relationships between music and painting. His theory of pictorial form, which emphasizes line, structure, and movement, became a reference point for many abstract artists of the 20th century.

A Multifaceted and Innovative Body of Work

Major Works

Year	Title	Description
1914	Memory of Tunisia	Watercolor inspired by Klee's trip to Tunisia, marking a turning point in his use of color.
1920	Angelus Novus	Ink and watercolor drawing, famous for Walter Benjamin's interpretation of it as "the angel of history."
1922	Senecio	Abstract portrait with geometric forms, illustrating Klee's unique style blending abstraction and figuration.
1925	The Goldfish	Oil painting combining abstract and figurative elements, reflecting Klee's interest in nature.
1929	Castle and Sun	Geometric work with vivid colors, representative of Klee's Bauhaus period.
1932	Ad Parnassum	Considered one of Klee's masterworks, combining Pointillist technique with geometric forms.
1937	Revolution of the Viaduct	Painting with abstract architectural structures, reflecting the political tensions of the era.
1938	Insula dulcamara	One of the most important late works, with enigmatic forms on a red background.
1939	Forgetful Angel	Work from Klee's final period, expressing existential anguish in the face of illness and the rise of Nazism.
1940	Death and Fire	One of Klee's last works, with simplified forms and intense colors, considered his artistic testament.

Die Zwitscher-Maschine (The Twittering Machine), 1922

"Die Zwitscher-Maschine," better known by its English title "The Twittering Machine," is one of Paul Klee's most emblematic works. This watercolor and ink on paper with oil borders depicts a Surrealist machine composed of mechanical birds perched on a crank.

Klee described his creative process: "I generally start with chaos, because it is the most natural way to begin. I have no fear then of spoiling a beautiful white sheet of paper. If I only made pretty and charming things, creation would be impossible for me."

This work perfectly illustrates Klee's ability to fuse abstraction, humor, and a subtle critique of the mechanization of modern society. The bird-machines seem at once comic and unsettling, capturing Klee's ambivalence toward technological progress.

Fisch-Zauber (Fish Magic), 1925

"Fisch-Zauber," or "Fish Magic," is an oil and watercolor on canvas on panel that demonstrates Klee's mastery in creating a dreamlike and mysterious world. The work presents a phantasmagorical underwater universe peopled with fish, geometric forms, and enigmatic symbols.

Klee declared of his artistic approach: "Art does not reproduce the visible; it makes visible." This quote finds perfect illustration in "Fish Magic," where Klee creates an invisible world made visible by his imagination.

The technique used here is particularly interesting: Klee first painted a dark background, then added layers of light paint on top, subsequently scraping certain areas to reveal the underlying colors, thus creating a unique depth and texture.

Senecio (Head of a Man Going Senile), 1922

"Senecio," whose title refers both to a plant and to the Latin word for "old man," is an abstract painting that perfectly illustrates Klee's unique approach to depicting the human face. The work, executed in oil on canvas, presents a face composed of colorful geometric forms on a dark background.

Klee explained his vision of art as follows: "Art is a likeness of creation. It is a symbol, just as the terrestrial world is a symbol of the cosmos." In "Senecio," one can see how Klee transforms a simple portrait into a complex symbol of the human condition.

The geometric composition and bold use of color in this work reflect the influence of the Bauhaus, where Klee was teaching at the time. The asymmetrical gaze and enigmatic expression of the face invite multiple interpretations, demonstrating Klee's ability to create works that are at once accessible and profoundly mysterious.

Between lyrical abstraction and poetic figuration

Klee's work is characterized by its diversity and constant innovation. He moves with ease between abstraction and figuration, creating a unique style that defies traditional classification. His paintings, such as Senecio (1922) and Ad Parnassum (1932), blend abstract and figurative elements in complex and poetic compositions. Klee develops a personal visual language, made of signs, symbols, and geometric forms, that often evokes a dreamlike and fantastical world.

Musicality and rhythm in pictorial composition

Klee's musical training shines through in his approach to pictorial composition. He often conceived his paintings as visual scores, using repetition, rhythm, and variation to create works of great visual musicality. Paintings such as Polyphony (1932) perfectly illustrate this fusion between visual and musical arts, with colorful motifs that seem to dance on the canvas like notes on a staff.

Quotes and Anecdotes from Paul Klee

"A line is a dot that went for a walk."

This celebrated quote from Klee perfectly encapsulates his philosophy of art, in which even the simplest elements can come alive and carry profound meaning.

"Color possesses me. I don't have to pursue it. It will possess me always, I know it. That is the meaning of this happy hour: color and I are one. I am a painter."

Klee wrote these words in his diary during his trip to Tunisia in 1914, a moment that marked a turning point in his career and his approach to color.

An interesting anecdote concerns Klee's teaching method at the Bauhaus. He often asked his students to close their eyes and draw with their non-dominant hand, encouraging them to free themselves from the constraints of conventional representation and explore their intuitive creativity.

"Art plays unknowingly with ultimate realities and yet reaches them."

This reflection by Klee underlines his belief in the capacity of art to touch deep truths, even in an unconscious manner.

Klee was also a musician. He played the violin and often compared artistic creation to musical composition. He said: "Painting and music have often sustained my most daring aspirations, like robust wings, no doubt because I always strive to merge these arts into one."

Klee and the Historical Upheavals of His Time

"Degenerate art" and Nazi persecution

The rise of Nazism in Germany had dramatic consequences for Klee. In 1933, the Nazis dismissed him from his position at the Düsseldorf Academy and labeled his art "degenerate." Seventeen of his works were included in the infamous Degenerate Art exhibition organized by the Nazi regime in 1937. This persecution forced Klee to leave Germany, the country where he had lived and worked for more than three decades.

Exile in Switzerland and final Expressionist creations

Klee went into exile in Switzerland in 1933, returning to his homeland. Despite the hardships of exile and declining health due to scleroderma, he continued to create prolifically until his death in 1940. His final works, such as Forgetful Angel (1939), are marked by a darker, more anguished Expressionism, reflecting both the turbulence of the era and his own confrontation with mortality.

Paul Klee's Legacy in 20th-Century Art

Influence on abstract art and Surrealism

Klee's influence on 20th-century art is considerable. His innovative approach to abstraction, his color theory, and his unique fusion of the rational and the intuitive inspired numerous artistic movements, including lyrical abstraction and Surrealism. Artists such as Joan Miró and Max Ernst acknowledged their debt to Klee. His exploration of geometric forms and his color theory also influenced geometric abstract art and Op Art.

The Zentrum Paul Klee in Berne: preservation and dissemination of his work

Klee's legacy is preserved and celebrated at the Zentrum Paul Klee in Berne, inaugurated in 2005. This museum, designed by architect Renzo Piano, houses the world's largest collection of Klee's works, with more than 4,000 paintings, watercolors, and drawings. The Centre plays a crucial role in the conservation, study, and dissemination of Klee's work, organizing regular exhibitions and educational programs that perpetuate the artist's influence on contemporary art.

Paul Klee remains an essential figure of modern art, whose work continues to inspire and intrigue. His ability to fuse theory and practice, abstraction and figuration, music and painting, makes him a unique artist whose influence transcends traditional artistic categories. Through his paintings, his writings, and his teaching, Klee opened new avenues in the exploration of color, form, and artistic expression, leaving a lasting legacy in the history of art.