Waldbeere 1921

Paul Klee made “Waldbeere” using watercolor and ink on paper. The image presents an ambiguous figure, part plant, part deity, looming out from the darkness. Klee was teaching at the Bauhaus in Germany when he made this, and his work was part of a broader movement to escape from academic tradition. He sought to use simplified forms and colors to unlock a more spiritual vision. Consider the social context in Germany at this time. The horrors of World War One were fresh in people’s minds, and the social and political order was breaking down. Many artists like Klee turned away from realistic depictions of the visible world, and instead tried to visualize hidden forces. The politics of imagery here involve the assertion of spiritual values in response to the materialism of modern society. Historians research the political and cultural context of artworks like this to more fully understand their meaning.