Still Life

Klee must have liked this work because, as he did in such cases, he underlined its title when he recorded it in his work catalogue. As in a playful exercise to show that "less is more," Klee simplified forms and used only primary colors and their complementaries. The cone, goblet, half lemon, pitcher, cut onion, piece of paper, Easter egg and cup, and chalice and dice showing the figure three are arranged equally distant from each other as upon a stage. The painted pattern of the lacy curtains seems incised with a sharp instrument into the uneven, dark red, crusty surface. One might be looking at a picture painted on mat stone. In fact, Klee painted this work on a thick slab of gypsum that he had reinforced with chicken wire and then encased in a deep wooden frame.

Credit: The Berggruen Klee Collection, 1984