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Wednesday, December 31, 2025

Paul Klee Art from Dark Times

Paul Klee was very affected by the Nazis coming to power in 1933. They labeled him a 'degenerate artist,' he lost his job teaching and could no longer work in Germany. He moved back to Switzerland with his family and start over again to make a living. After 1935 he battled severe illness and great pain. He died in June 1940 before the war ended. These artworks are from Zentrum Paul Klee and reflect how he could use the material of life for his art.

Difficult Children.

Pencil drawing.

1933.

Fools' Party. Charcoal drawing. 1933.

Cemetery. Colored paste paint. 1939.

Boat Trip in Darkness. Colored paste paint. 1939.

Photos of Anni Albers

Anni Albers: 1899 - 1994.

From a show at Zentrum Paul Klee: Anni Albers: Constructing Textiles.

See next post for more information and photos of several works.

Anni Albers Textiles

Anni Albers, a leading textile artist of the 20th Century, left Germany with her husband after attending the Bauhaus. They emigrated to the US, where she taught, practiced, theorized and continued to work during her long life. She died in 1994. She was constantly trying new materials, new designs, learning from others, including pre-Columbian Mexican patterns - and trying to 'disrupt the grid.'

Black-White-Grey. Cotten and Linen. 1927/1964.

Vicara Rug II. Vicara, Wool and Cotton. 1959.

Textile Sample. Cotton and linen. 1947.

Line Involvement VI. Lithograph. 1964.

Kirchner and Swiss Mountains

Ernst Ludwig Kirchner was German but after fighting in World War I moved to Davos Switzerland. His landscapes from Davos are populated by mountains and neighbors.

Color woodcut: Weather Firs. 1919.