Paul Klee, “Wald Bau (Forest Construction)”, 1919, Mixed Media Chalk, 27 x 25 cm

Though Paul Klee was affiliated with the German expressionists, his work defies categorization. Ever experimental, he employed a variety of materials and styles throughout his career. In 1921 he began teaching at the Bauhaus. Klee’s collected lectures were published as “Writings on Form and Design Theory (Schriften zur Form und Gestaltungslehre)”, today considered one of the most important teaching texts in the history of modern art.

In this abstract painting entitled “Wald Bau, Forest Construction,” there are references to an evergreen forest intermingled with gridded elements suggestive of walls and paths. The painting mixes symbolic primitive drawing with a representational use of color.