3245 - PAUL KLEE

PAUL KLEE (Münchenbuchsee 1879–1940 Muralto) Schlir-Stilleben. (still life) 1931. Watercolour over glue ground on paper on board. Signed upper left: Klee. Dated, numbered and titled on the artist’s board: 1931 W 20 Schlir-Stilleben. 21 × 32.8 cm. Provenance: - Ida Bienert, Dresden/Munich, from 1932. - Marlborough Fine Art, London, 1987/88. - Auction Christie’s London, 29 November 1988, lot 362/B. - Private collection, Italy, acquired at the above auction and passed by descent to the next generation. - Auction Koller Zurich, 1 December 2023, lot 3250. - Swiss collection, acquired at the above auction. Exhibited: - Munich 1950, Die Maler am Bauhaus, Haus der Kunst, May–June 1950, no. 148. - Venice 1954, XXVII Esposizione Biennale Internazionale d’Arte, German Pavilion, 19 June–17 October 1954, no. 33. - London 1966, Paul Klee, Marlborough Fine Art, June–July 1966, no. 42. - New York 1969, Paul Klee. A Retrospective Exhibition, Saidenberg Gallery, 14 October–19 November 1969, no. 37. Literature: - Paul Klee-Stiftung and Kunstmuseum Bern (eds.): Paul Klee. Catalogue raisonné, Bern 2002, vol. VI, p. 151, no. 5665 (ill.). - Will Grohmann (ed.): Privatsammlungen neuer Kunst. Die Sammlung Ida Bienert Dresden, Dresden 1933, vol. I, p. 22 (ill.). In this still life of 1931, painted during his brief period as a professor at the Düsseldorf Art Academy, Klee experiments with materials, forms and colours. Against a ground of glue, countless dabs of watercolour form a pattern woven together like a carpet. Varying not only in size and colour but also in their horizontal and vertical arrangement, they lend the picture a sense of movement that is both intriguing and disorientating. A handful of large, clearly defined elements – circles, ellipses and black lines – at the centre and along the upper right and lower left edges restore a sense of calm and structure to the composition. Bands of colour in muted pastel tones likewise contribute to the harmony of the whole. The work originally belonged to the collection of Ida Bienert in Dresden, a remarkable private art collection begun shortly before the First World War. Historical events effectively brought its development to an end in 1933, and the full extent of the collection remained unknown for many years. * The full tax is charged on this item marked *, i.e. VAT is charged on the sum will be refunded to Purchasers providing a validly stamped export declaration.