Baum und Architektur--Rhythmen (Tree and Architecture--Rhythms)
1920
Medium
oil on paper
Dimensions
overall: 27.9 x 38.3 cm (11 x 15 1/16 in.)
Classification
Drawing
Department
CG-W
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Gift of Benjamin and Lillian Hertzberg
Accession Number
2004.140.41.a
Art Historical Context
Paul Klee's *Baum und ArchitekturRhythmen* (Tree and Architecture--Rhythms), created in 1920, the artist's signature fusion of organic and geometric forms in a compact oil on paper, measuring just 27.9 x 38.3 cm. Though classified as a drawing, this intimate work showcases Klee's painterly technique, applying thin veils of color to evoke rhythmic patterns where a stylized tree intertwines with angular architectural motifs. The modest scale invites close contemplation, much like a personal sketchbook page elevated to poetic abstraction. Painted at the dawn of the Bauhaus era—where Klee began t...
About the Artist
Paul Klee
Paul Klee (1879–1940) was born in Münchenbuchsee, near Bern, Switzerland, into a family of musicians; his father was a German music teacher and his mother a trained singer. The musical environment of his childhood left permanent traces on his art, informing his lifelong interest in rhythm, counterpoint, and structural variation. He studied painting in Munich from 1898, absorbing the currents of la...