Paul Klee Rich Harbour

Paul Klee (1879-1940) was a Swiss-German artist with a distinctive and imaginative abstract style. Born into a musical family, he was a gifted violinist as well as a talented artist at a young age. Although strongly encouraged to become a musician, he decided on studying the visual arts, viewing it as a better field for creative expression.

Influenced by art movements including expressionism, cubism and surrealism, he was constantly experimenting with various art media and color theory. Klee’s works often reflected his musical training. His description of drawing as “a line going for a walk,” encapsulates his whimsical and inventive approach to art.

Our vase is inspired by Rich Harbour (1938), a late work created in Switzerland after fleeing Germany in 1933. Its bold lines and areas of pure color play in an almost jazz-like rhythm across a white textured background.

Paul Klee (1879-1940)
Rich Harbour, 1938
Oil and paste paint on newsprint over jute
Kunstmuseum Basel, Switzerland