first house of a settlement 1926

Paul Klee painted 'first house of a settlement' using watercolour. Klee was closely associated with the Bauhaus school, an institution founded in Germany in 1919 dedicated to uniting fine art, crafts, and technology. The Bauhaus was an incredibly progressive institution which welcomed anyone, regardless of gender, ethnicity or class. Klee taught at the Bauhaus from 1921 until 1931, when he took up a professorship at the Düsseldorf Academy. He was dismissed from this position by the Nazis in 1933 because his art was considered 'degenerate'. In this painting, Klee uses geometric shapes in muted colors to evoke a sense of urban growth and community. The small windows suggest a human presence, while the patchwork arrangement creates a feeling of interconnectedness. It’s easy to see how the Bauhaus ethos might have influenced this work. Historians can research the Bauhaus and the social and political conditions in Germany at the time to better understand Klee's intentions and the painting's meaning. By considering the social and institutional context, we can appreciate the painting's significance as a reflection of its time.