Night Feast 1921

Curator: Paul Klee's "Night Feast," created in 1921 using tempera, invites us into a fantastical cityscape. Editor: My first impression is that it is dreamlike and a little unsettling, actually. There's a dense atmosphere, thick with stars and deep shadows. It feels less like a literal feast and more like a symbolic offering. Curator: Considering its historical context, Klee painted this shortly after World War I. The somewhat fractured, almost naive style can be seen as a reaction against the established order, and perhaps an attempt to rebuild a world destroyed. Editor: Absolutely. Given the sociopolitical trauma of the time, the deliberate simplicity strikes me as a move toward finding solace, even resistance. The geometric shapes read almost as coded symbols—each house or steeple bearing its own history and identity. Curator: Note how he flattens the perspective. The cityscape almost feels like a stage set, or a child's drawing. There is no illusion of depth here. This echoes Klee's interest in the art of children and the mentally ill, believing they possessed a unique kind of unmediated creativity. Editor: It challenges the traditional art canon of representation. The use of geometric shapes seems to echo similar feelings in architecture as a sense of order. Curator: This period of his work reflects his appointment as a teacher at the Bauhaus. He was experimenting with color theory and geometric forms. His works during this time were his attempts to understand and represent underlying realities. Editor: You can see in the brushwork too—thin and textured with these visible marks, giving it an intimate feel. There's a clear link with expressionism; there is something very personal happening here. I see his rejection of dominant Western artistic ideals as pushing the door open for further artistic emancipation. It makes the personal and political all part of one artistic piece. Curator: Looking at "Night Feast", we have examined Klee's interest in simplified forms and its ties to his unique worldview, particularly considering the post-war sociopolitical climate. Editor: We’ve started to understand its quiet rebellion against traditional art, and appreciate its place within larger conversations about identity, healing, and creative resistance.