Basic Art Series: Paul Klee

Thinking eye: A unique language of symbols, literature, and light With careful theories and many thousands of paintings, drawings, and watercolors, Paul Klee (1879-1940) is considered one of the most cerebral and prolific leaders of 20th century European art. Though typically small in scale, his works are remarkable for their sophisticated thought and meticulous nuances of line, color, and tonality. Klee's stylistic formation was shaped by early affiliation with the German expressionist group Der Blaue Reiterand, in particular, by a 1914 trip to Tunisia which transformed his use of color. After the war, he taught at the esteemed Bauhaus school, where his lectures, like his emerging practice, emphasized the symbolic potential of shades, lines, and geometries. Klee was also inspired by Cubism, poetry, music, literature, language, and the simplistic power of children with art. Famed for his simple stick figures, he often combined the appearance of untutored naivety with rigorous composition and intellectual significance. This book provides a selection of key Klee works to introduce his style and influence. From sun-drenched landscapes to enigmatic wordplay, discover a world at once simplistic, symbolic, and dazzlingly colorful.