Singer of the Comic Opera 1923

Paul Klee made this drawing of a singer using ink and watercolour on paper, and it looks like he started with a wash of pink. The black lines feel so free and immediate, like the first thought that comes to mind. And the details! Look at the loops of her hair and that elaborate headdress. I wonder if Klee was thinking about the fleeting nature of performance when he made this. The way a singer embodies a role, but then it’s gone. It’s as if he’s captured a moment of transformation, that instant when the performer becomes the character. You can feel the artist's hand moving across the page, a dance between control and improvisation. Klee's work reminds us that painting is not just about representation, but about exploring the possibilities of form, color, and line. He’s always inviting us to see the world anew.