Angel Applicant 1939

Paul Klee made "Angel Applicant" with simple materials, probably paint and ink on paper. Look at the way he builds up the image with layers of thin, washy color. He's not trying to hide the process; in fact, the way the brushstrokes overlap almost feels like a kind of transparency. The texture is fascinating. In the angel's face the paint looks dry, almost chalky, giving it a ghostly presence. I love the way Klee uses just a few simple lines to suggest a face. It's like he's stripped away all the unnecessary details to reveal something essential. The angel's expression is ambiguous. Are they sad, hopeful, or maybe just a little bit lost? Klee's paintings always remind me that art is a conversation that never really ends. It's all about passing ideas back and forth, generation after generation. Think about Picasso's early Cubist portraits; Klee is another link in that chain.