Castle and Sun 1928

(1879–1940)

• Synopsis• Paul Klee was born in Münchenbuchsee, Switzerland,

on December 18, 1879. Klee participated in and was influenced by a range of artistic movements, including surrealism, cubism and expressionism. He took his father’s German nationality and taught art in Germany until 1933, when the National Socialists declared his work indecent. The Klee family fled to Switzerland, where Paul Klee died on June 29, 1940.

• His work expressed his personality, his moods his sense of humour and sometimes had an innocent childlike quality.

• Constantly struggling with colour in his work he had a breakthrough in 1914 when he visited Tunisia. Klee was enchanted by the quality of the light there. He wrote, “Colour has taken possession of me; no longer do I have to chase after it, I know that it has hold of me forever ... Colour and I are one. I am a painter”.

• With that revelation he gave up depicting nature and moved increasingly into abstraction. His first completely abstract work was called, “In the Style of Kairouan,” painted in 1914, composed of coloured rectangles and circles.

• This composition is an illustration of Klee’s ability to use intonations of colour to evoke a musical feeling. He begins the composition with the large rectangle in the centre, then builds upon it’s strength and colour to build the remainder of the composition, which flows from the first large note.

In the Style of Kairouan,1914

• Castle and Sun is an innovative painting by Swiss artist Paul Klee. The stylish images are created out of different geometric shapes and various shades of colour. The lone sun shines in the ingeniously designed sky created by strong lines and structure. In addition, various rectangular sizes add depth to the abstract image.

• Style and Technique• Paul Klee executed the cubism technique in his patented style.

The mix of abstract with reality is shown, while figures are deconstructed to form interesting images. The clay coloured background gives viewers a clearer view of how the figures seem to form a city skyline of intense colour and light. Klee uses pops of yellow to bring the eye in and break up the browns that appear everywhere. This oil on canvas painting has a complex array of triangular figures to provide an imaginary metropolis of shapes.

• The 1928 painting of Castle and Sun is an expression in abstract art. The touch of realism, angles and use of colour creates a city of geometric shape. Paul Klee’s imaginary works continue to inspire and intrigue.

Castle and Sun 1928

QUOTES“A line is a dot that went for a walk.”“Art does not reproduce the visible; rather, it makes visible.”“A drawing is simply a line going for a walk.”“Colour is the place where our brain and the universe meet.”—Paul Klee

The Cat and the Bird by Geraldine Elschner & Peggy Nille.

A book inspired by Paul Klee

Cat and Bird 1928

Art work

• • materials• textiles

•

technique approach

Colour Texture

tone shade

pattern

shapes

Design Style

Castle and Sun

• Possible Questions • What is the first thing you see in this picture?• What shapes do you see? Are any of the shapes

repeated?• What other colours do you see? Can you name

some of them?• What is the background colour?• Does the picture remind you of something? • What would you name this picture?

Castles

Who lives in a Castle like this?

Scarborough Castle Conisbrough Castle

Mathematics

Language and Literacy

History Geography

Creative Arts

Drama

Construction

Science

Knowledge & Understanding

ICT

Role Play Castle and Sun

What happens in a Castle like this?

Technology

Children’s artwork based on Castle and Sun“His art was very colourful and childlike because he enjoyed art that was created by children.”

• And Finally • Paul Klee had suffered from a wasting disease, scleroderma, and he

died in Switzerland in 1940. He was often in pain and this was reflected in his work. He had applied for Swiss nationality before and had been refused because the authorities considered his art to be too radical. Ironically they finally accepted his application 6 days after his death.

• He left behind a staggering 10,000 pieces of work. A hugely creative man who flitted from style to style before he settled on one and became the master of it. He is considered one of the most influential artists of the 20th century.

The most famous painting by Klee is ‘Ad Parnassum’ 1932