Architecture of the Plain 1923

Paul Klee made this watercolour, Architecture of the Plain, with watercolor, here in Berlin. It looks simple at first, just a grid, but get closer, and you can see Klee's process. The colours are laid down in layers, like translucent curtains. Watercolour can be unforgiving; you can't really cover your tracks. So, each stroke counts. Notice how the colours bleed into each other, creating subtle shifts in hue. Like a sunset fading into twilight, or a memory blurring at the edges. It's this quality of light and atmosphere that draws me in. Look at the bottom section, the yellow, and how it seems to glow from within. It's like a little window into another world. It's a reminder that art isn't about perfection. It's about process, about exploration, and embracing the unexpected. I'm reminded of Agnes Martin's grids, but Klee's are somehow warmer, more human. In the end, it's not about what you see, but what you feel.