Rote Erde 1926

Paul Klee made this watercolour, 'Rote Erde', maybe nearly a hundred years ago... you can almost feel the movement of his hand across the page. I bet Klee was thinking about the earth—the real, literal ground we walk on—when he made this. He’s built up a world of soft blues, pinks, and grays, with these delicate marks suggesting texture and form. Look how each little stroke seems to vibrate with energy! It's like he’s mapping out a whole landscape with a kind of gentle insistence. This reminds me of Agnes Martin’s grids, or maybe some of the early abstract landscapes of Kandinsky. Artists are always having a conversation with each other, across time and space. I love how Klee embraces ambiguity, inviting us to wander through his world and find our own meaning. Painting doesn't give us all the answers, but it sure asks some great questions.