Tannenwald (Original Title) 1914

Paul Klee made this watercolor painting, Tannenwald, whose title translates as 'fir forest,' using gentle colors and simple shapes. The painting shows how artmaking can be a process of invention. Klee was super interested in the materiality of his paints and paper. In this piece, you can see how he's carefully layered his watercolors, letting the colors bleed and mix in unpredictable ways. Look at the bottom of the painting. The brown and reddish hues feel earthy, and the way he's dabbed the paint creates a sense of texture like you might find on the forest floor. The stripes of color create a sense of rhythm, and also a sense of something hidden. Klee was into music, right? Maybe he wanted to make a painting that felt like a song. I love how he doesn't give us all the answers. Like the work of another watercolorist, someone like, say, Emil Nolde, there's always more to discover, more to feel. It's like the painting is constantly changing, depending on how you look at it.