The Thistle Flower House 1919

Paul Klee made "The Thistle Flower House" at an unknown date with oil paint on fabric, mounted on cardboard. It's a little world, isn't it? The paint is built up layer upon layer, a crust of colour. Look at the way the pinky-red of the lower part of the house contrasts with the white and green of the buildings to the left. Each brushstroke feels like a decision, a little push and pull between control and letting go. And then, there's that central flower, kind of like a sun, but floral, watching over everything like the all-seeing eye, or maybe just a really big daisy. Klee's works remind us that art is an ongoing conversation. He was definitely having a conversation with the surrealists, like Joan Miró, pushing the boundaries of representation, making art that feels like a dreamscape. It's not about having all the answers, it's about embracing the questions, the uncertainties, and the beautiful, messy process of making.