Likeness in the bower 1930

Paul Klee made Likeness in the bower using gouache and ink. Look at the surface and how it's built up, almost like layers of thoughts piling one on top of the other. I can imagine Klee in his studio, brush in hand, trying to capture a feeling or a memory. See the dark figure with the pink hair, surrounded by dots of color. Maybe he was thinking about the way we see each other, the way we create images of ourselves. There is a playfulness in the application of the paint; it’s thin in places, allowing the paper to peek through, and thicker in others, creating a soft texture. Think about the sky and all those dots, a burst of light. Painting is a conversation, right? Klee was surely looking at other artists, riffing on their ideas, and adding his own spin. His little marks, his color choices, all create a rhythm. It's like he's inviting us to join in, to make our own meaning. Painting is never really finished anyway.