Interieur mit der Uhr 1913

Paul Klee made this watercolor, "Interior with Clock," with delicate washes of color. I can almost imagine Klee hovering over the paper, coaxing these translucent hues into existence. There’s a clock in there, a symbol of time, but the way Klee layers these soft, almost pastel shades – yellows, greens, mauves – it feels timeless, or maybe out of time. Look at how he’s built up these planes, one gently floating over another. I bet he put down one color and then let it dry before he came back in with the next. Klee was a master of color, but not in a flashy way. He had a subtle touch, so that even a simple mark, like that purple arc at the bottom, resonates with feeling. He was deeply influenced by other painters but had his own quiet, thoughtful way of working. Every artist is always looking at what other artists do, riffing off their ideas, and pushing painting in new directions.