Paul Klee

Swiss-born artist Paul Klee (1879-1940) created some of the most innovative and best-loved works of the twentieth century. He combined the machine aesthetic of modernism with lyrical, organic elements, arriving at a visual language entirely his own. Although he moved freely between media and from figuration to abstraction, Klee's works remain instantly recognisable, often characterised by a playfulness and wit that can sharpen to biting satire on occasion. This book surveys Klee's entire career, particularly his role as recordkeeper of his work and the way this influenced the way his work was then exhibited. Featuring his best-known paintings reproduced in their full colourful complexity, the book focuses on Klee's major exhibitions during his lifetime. placing his output in the context of the period in which he lived, revealing an anxious artist who, despite his quirky lyricism, was troubled by the challenges of the modern world.