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Basic data
Paul Klee was an influential Swiss painter and graphic artist whose works developed a unique style in modern art through the combination of abstract forms and vivid colors.
- Name: Paul Klee
- Date of birth: December 18, 1879
- Place of birth: Münchenbuchsee, Switzerland
- Date of death: June 29, 1940
- Place of death: Muralto, Switzerland
- Nationality: Swiss
- Art style: Surrealism, Expressionism, Bauhaus
- Known works: “Senecio”, “Ad Parnassum”, “Twittering Machine”
- Techniques: Painting, drawing, watercolor
- Influences: Cubism, Surrealism, Children's art
- Similar artists: Gabriele Münter, Lyonel Feininger, Henri Matisse, Marc Chagall, Hundertwasser, Horst Janssen
- Exhibitions: Numerous international exhibitions, including at the Zentrum Paul Klee and MoMA
- Special features: Was a formative member of the Bauhaus, known for his unmistakable style
Paul Klee's work remains a major contribution to modern art and inspires artists worldwide.
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Biography
Childhood & youth
Paul Klee was born on December 18, 1879 in Münchenbuchsee near Bern, Switzerland. His father was a German music teacher and his mother was Swiss, a trained singer. The musical atmosphere of his parental home shaped Klee's early development, and he initially showed a particular talent for the violin. In fact, music remained a lifelong interest that profoundly influenced his art. During his school years, however, Klee decided to abandon music in favor of the visual arts, although his affinity for music later became apparent in his paintings.
After leaving school, Klee moved to Munich in 1898, where he studied at the Academy of Fine Arts under Heinrich Knirr and Franz von Stuck. This period was characterized by his engagement with the classical art tradition, but Klee felt increasingly attracted to the emerging avant-garde movements. His early works still show figurative and graphic elements, but he was already experimenting with unusual pictorial compositions and forms.
Artistic orientation and the Munich avant-garde
In the years following his studies, Paul Klee searched for his own expression and style. He traveled to Italy in 1905, where he studied the works of the Renaissance. However, this study led him to the realization that he wanted to go in a new, modern direction. He initially remained within the circle of figurative art, but increasingly devoted himself to printmaking, particularly etching, in order to further develop his artistic style. During this time, he experimented with grotesque, almost satirical depictions of figures that represented a deep inner conflict between his search for expression and traditional art.
An important turning point came in 1911, when Klee came into contact with the artists of the Neue Künstlervereinigung München and later the Blaue Reiter. His encounter with Wassily Kandinsky, Franz Marc and August Macke brought Klee into the circle of the avant-garde and opened up new artistic possibilities for him. However, it was Kandinsky's theory of abstraction and inner harmony in particular that had a profound influence on Klee's art. He began to develop more abstract forms and concentrate more on the symbolic and spiritual dimension of art.
Journey to Tunisia and the breakthrough to color
The decisive moment in Paul Klee's artistic development came in 1914, when he undertook a trip to Tunisia together with August Macke and Louis Moilliet. This trip marked Klee's breakthrough into color. The intense brightness and light of North Africa left a deep impression on him, and he began to understand color not as a purely visual means of expression, but as an emotional one. The often quoted statement “Color has me” dates from this time and shows the profound change in his artistic way of thinking.
After this journey, Klee developed his unmistakable style of abstract forms and symbols arranged in complex compositions, often reminiscent of music. He works with transparencies, layering and geometric shapes to create a multi-layered, almost magical effect. Works such as Hammamet with the Mosque (1914) show the beginning of his color experiments, which would become increasingly central in the years to come.
Bauhaus years and teaching
In 1920, Paul Klee was appointed to the Bauhaus in Weimar, where he worked as a teacher until 1931. This period was extremely productive for Klee, both artistically and intellectually. At the Bauhaus, he worked closely with artists such as Kandinsky, Lyonel Feininger and László Moholy-Nagy and further developed his theory of color and form. His teaching activities at the Bauhaus, in particular his “Bildnerische Gestaltungslehre”, became influential for generations of artists.
Some of Klee's most important works were created at the Bauhaus, in which he explored geometry, color and structure. His work became increasingly abstract, but always remained poetic and characterized by subtle symbolism. Paintings such as Senecio (1922) and Fugue in Red (1921) show Klee's deep understanding of color and composition, often reminiscent of musical structures. He saw art as a way of making the invisible visible and sought a harmony between form, color and inner expression.
Later years: National Socialism and illness
After the closure of the Bauhaus in 1933 due to the rise of National Socialism, Klee returned to Switzerland. The political events in Germany and the growing hostility towards modern art, which was defamed by the National Socialists as “degenerate”, weighed heavily on him. Many of his works were confiscated and removed from German museums. Despite these difficult circumstances, Klee remained artistically active.
In the late 1930s, Klee was diagnosed with scleroderma, a rare and serious connective tissue disease that severely limited him physically. But instead of withdrawing, his art became more intense and expressive. His later works, such as Death and Fire (1940), are characterized by a deeper emotional and philosophical examination of life and death. He increasingly used larger forms and reduced color palettes to express complex themes such as transience, pain and hope.
Despite his illness, Klee remained artistically productive until his death. His last works are characterized by a melancholic but also spiritual depth that marks the end of his artistic career.
Legacy and significance
Paul Klee died on June 29, 1940 at the age of 60 in Muralto, Switzerland. His work leaves a lasting influence on the art of the 20th century. Klee is celebrated as one of the most important artists of classical modernism, whose poetic and abstract visual language went far beyond the boundaries of the traditional understanding of art.
His teachings at the Bauhaus influenced generations of artists, and his works inspired movements such as Surrealism, Abstraction and later Minimal Art. Klee's approach of understanding art as a form of inner expression and transcendence remains of great importance to many artists and art theorists. Today, his works can be found in the world's most important museums, and the Zentrum Paul Klee in Bern preserves his artistic legacy.
Exhibitions
- 01.03.2018 – 17.06.2018 Paul Klee. Construction of Mystery – Pinakothek der Moderne, Munich.
- 18.10.2023 – 28.01.2024 Paul Klee. Everything Grows – Fondation Beyeler, Riehen/Basel.
- 23.03.2022 – 03.07.2022 Paul Klee. Movement in the Workshop – Zentrum Paul Klee, Bern.
Films
- Paul Klee: The Silence of the Angel, Dokumentary, 52 Min, 2005.
Literature
- Paul Klee und Kunstwerke, Donald Wigan, New York 2023.
- Paul Klee. Die Sammlung Sylvie und Jorge Helft, Tobia Bezzola, Zurich 2022.
- Die Engel von Paul Klee, Boris Friedewald, Cologne 2021.
Collections
Germany
- München – Pinakothek der Moderne
- Berlin – Berggruen Museum
Schwitzerland
- Bern – Zentrum Paul Klee
France
- Paris – Centre Pompidou
Weblinks
- Official Website of Zentrum Paul Klee
