Advertisement

Happy Birthday, Paul Klee

Artsy Editorial
Dec 18, 2013 3:25PM

“Drawing is taking a line for a walk.” — Paul Klee

While Paul Klee’s name may not have the same cachet as Picasso’s, the Museum of Modern Art’s historic first director Alfred H. Barr, Jr., once pronounced that the Swiss-German artist surpassed his Spanish counterpart in “sheer inventiveness.” As prolific as he was inventive, Klee created nearly 10,000 works during his 60 years. His fantastic figural and abstract images were drawn from the stylistic modes of Expressionism, Surrealism, and Cubism, yet Klee’s drawings, paintings, and prints are a body of work unrivaled in their uniqueness. Well-known for his vibrant patchwork paintings, Klee also made innumerable line drawings and prints, each conveying spontaneity, immediacy, and childlike wonder. In honor of Klee’s birthday, we present some of our favorite line drawings from him and his fellow modern masters.

Artsy Editorial