Tree and Architecture – Rhythms

Paul Klee, 1920

This painting displays intersecting lines and block shapes creating an abstract scene. Rectangular grids and curved lines evoke buildings or architectural structures, with two tall shapes on the left and right appearing like tall towers or walls with pointed roofs, and a shape in the center looking like an arch or an opening across a pathway or bridge. These shapes have been painted with black outlines, but within those outlines and overlapping with them are circles of bright green, yellow, pink, red, and dark blue, with some white between the circles. The paint has been applied thickly, with wide, visible brushstrokes.
Artist
Paul Klee
Date
1920
Type
Drawing
Medium
oil on paper
Dimensions
27.9 × 38.3 cm
Collection
National Gallery of Art, Washington
Licence
Public domain, CC0

Image description

This painting displays intersecting lines and block shapes creating an abstract scene. Rectangular grids and curved lines evoke buildings or architectural structures, with two tall shapes on the left and right appearing like tall towers or walls with pointed roofs, and a shape in the center looking like an arch or an opening across a pathway or bridge. These shapes have been painted with black outlines, but within those outlines and overlapping with them are circles of bright green, yellow, pink, red, and dark blue, with some white between the circles. The paint has been applied thickly, with wide, visible brushstrokes.

Paul Klee