Paul Klee
Biography
Paul Klee was a celebrated avant-garde artist who taught at the Bauhaus and brought a unique vision to Weimar. Born in Switzerland, Klee was recruited by Walter Gropius and joined the Bauhaus faculty in Weimar in 1921, teaching in the bookbinding and painting workshops. Already known for his abstract, whimsical style, Klee greatly influenced the Bauhaus's approach to color theory and form. In his Weimar years (1921–1925), Klee developed his pedagogical ideas – his lectures "On Modern Art" and demonstrations on the "thinking eye" became legendary among students. Simultaneously, he produced prolific artwork: delicate watercolors like "Twittering Machine" (1922) and geometric compositions exploring color gradations. Klee's presence at the Bauhaus exemplified the bridge between fine art and applied design; he collaborated with colleagues like Kandinsky and shaped the school's ethos of playful experimentation. When the Bauhaus moved to Dessau, Klee continued with it, leaving Weimar but forever linking his legacy to the city's modernist chapter. Today Klee's spirit in Weimar is remembered in the Museum Neues Weimar (holding some Bauhaus-era works) and his teachings preserved in the Bauhaus University archives. His tenure in Weimar, though just four years, helped cement the Bauhaus's reputation for artistic excellence and intellectual depth.
Famous Quotes
“Art does not reproduce the visible; rather, it makes visible.”
“The main thing now is not to paint precociously but to be, or at least become, an individual. The art of mastering life is the prerequisite for all further forms of expression.”
Notable Works & Achievements
Twittering Machine (1922)
Pedagogical Sketchbook (1925)
Fish Magic
Castle and Sun
Ad Parnassum
Senecio
Connected Places in Weimar
Stéphane-Hessel-Platz 1, 99423 Weimar
Features Klee's Weimar-period works and lesson notes as part of Bauhaus collection
Evidence: Bauhaus Museum displays works by Klee from his Bauhaus teaching years (e.g. "Colored gradation" studies)
Historical Context
Served as Bauhaus master in Weimar (1921–1925), teaching and producing influential modern art
Historical evidence: Klee taught at the Weimar Bauhaus from 1921 until 1925, shaping its course content
Weimar was the cradle of the Bauhaus, the revolutionary school of modern art, design, and architecture. In the aftermath of World War I, architect Walter Gropius merged the existing Grand-Ducal Saxon Art School and Arts and Crafts School to found the Staatliches Bauhaus in Weimar in 1919. Gropius's Bauhaus brought together painters, designers, and craftsmen with the radical aim of uniting fine arts with functional design. During its Weimar years (1919–1925), the Bauhaus faculty included celebrated figures such as Paul Klee, Wassily Kandinsky, Lyonel Feininger, and Johannes Itten, who pioneered a curriculum blending avant-garde art theory with hands-on workshops. Students and masters collaborated on innovative works ranging from ceramics and furniture to graphic design and architecture. Notable projects of this era include the Haus am Horn (a model modern house built for the 1923 Bauhaus Exhibition in Weimar), which demonstrated the Bauhaus principles of form following function. Despite its creativity, the Bauhaus faced political hostility from conservative factions in Thuringia. Funding was cut after 1924 amid right-wing pressure. In 1925 the Bauhaus moved to Dessau, ending the Weimar chapter. Though brief, the Weimar period of the Bauhaus fundamentally influenced 20th-century art and design, making Weimar a pilgrimage site for modernist heritage (now part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site).
Read more about this period →Quick Facts
1879
1940
German-Swiss