Artwork
Narr der Tiefe
Narr der Tiefe is an oil painting by the Bauhaus artist Paul Klee. It dates from 1927 and is held in the collection of the Kunsthaus Zürich.
About this work
Overview
Created in 1927, Narr der Tiefe is an oil painting by Paul Klee that belongs to the collection of the Kunsthaus Zürich.
Created in 1927, Narr der Tiefe is an oil painting by Paul Klee that belongs to the collection of the Kunsthaus Zürich. The work presents a dark, abstract composition dominated by red and black tones, centered around a large circular motif that suggests a masked face with a pronounced chin and an exaggerated grin. Subtle linear markings and geometric symbols, such as a cross and a triangle, punctuate the surface.
Subject & Meaning
The central circular element functions as a stylized visage, its exaggerated smile and pointed chin evoking a jester‑like figure. The surrounding symbols and intersecting lines introduce an enigmatic narrative, inviting viewers to contemplate the interplay between humor and mystery. The contrast of stark colors and abstract forms contributes to a sense of depth that aligns with the title’s suggestion of a “fool of the deep.”
Technique & Style
Klee employed oil on canvas, exploiting the medium’s capacity for rich, saturated hues to achieve the painting’s intense red‑black palette. The surface reveals his characteristic blend of expressionist vigor, cubist fragmentation, and surrealist imagination. Delicate incised lines and geometric shapes are integrated into the paint layer, reflecting Klee’s ongoing investigation of form, line, and color relationships.
History & Provenance
After its completion, the painting entered the holdings of the Kunsthaus Zürich, where it remains on view. Its acquisition reflects the museum’s commitment to representing the Bauhaus‑linked phase of Klee’s career, a period during which his theoretical writings on design were also gaining prominence through the Paul Klee Notebooks.
Context
Narr der Tiefe was produced while Klee taught at the Bauhaus, an environment that encouraged interdisciplinary experimentation. The work embodies his deep engagement with color theory and formal experimentation that characterized his lectures, later compiled in the Notebooks. Within the broader trajectory of early‑20th‑century modernism, the painting illustrates Klee’s synthesis of expressionist, cubist, and surrealist influences.
Artist & collection
Artist
Paul Klee (German:; 18 December 1879 – 29 June 1940) was a Swiss-born German artist.
