Artwork
North German City
North German City is an unspecified painting by the Bauhaus artist Paul Klee. It dates from 1930 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
The work's meaning is tied to Klee's fascination with fragmented spatial relationships, though the precise iconographic narrative remains unspecified.
The painting presents an abstracted urban scene referencing a North German cityscape, though specific symbolic elements are not detailed. It is part of Paul Klee's 1930 oeuvre and resides in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, reflecting his exploration of architectural abstraction.
The work's meaning is tied to Klee's fascination with fragmented spatial relationships, though the precise iconographic narrative remains unspecified.
History & Provenance
Paul Klee created the painting North German City in 1930. Following its completion, the work entered a chain of private and commercial ownership that included Erika Meyer-Benteli and the dealer Curt Valentin. It was subsequently held by the Buchholz Gallery before being acquired by A. James Speyer. The artwork eventually entered the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, where it remains located.
Overview
Created in 1930, North German City is an oil painting by Paul Klee that resides in the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The work belongs to the abstract strand of Klee’s output during his involvement with the Bauhaus school, reflecting his synthesis of various avant‑garde currents while maintaining a personal visual language.
Technique & Style
Klee applied paint in swift, uneven strokes that produce both rough, sandpaper‑like textures and smoother surfaces. The juxtaposition of jagged forms and overlapping color blocks demonstrates his ongoing experimentation with color theory and the reduction of forms to elementary geometric gestures characteristic of his Bauhaus period.
Context
During the late 1920s and early 1930s, Klee taught at the Bauhaus, where he explored the relationship between visual art and pedagogical theory. North German City exemplifies the period’s cross‑currents of expressionism, cubism and emerging surrealist sensibilities, embodying the school’s emphasis on integrating design, color, and form.
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Artist & collection
Artist
Paul Klee (German:; 18 December 1879 – 29 June 1940) was a Swiss-born German artist.
