(Not) Forgotten: Paul Klee's Polyphony of Forms and Colors

The work of Paul Klee defies narrow definitions and cannot be unambiguously attributed to any of the leading avant-garde directions. We will find in it the influences of expressionism, abstraction, constructivism or cubism.

The starting point for reflections on the style of one of the most recognizable artists of the early 20th century will be the drawing Landscape in Green with Red Elements from 1922. It is the only work of this artist in the collections of the National Museum in Gdańsk, unique due to the time of its creation and the fact that it was acquired for the museum collection during the artist's lifetime.

The work will be discussed in the context of the former collection of works by avant-garde artists, which was an important part of the acquisitions of the City Museum in Gdańsk (Stadtmuseum Danzig). Paul Klee's work will serve as a starting point for further consideration of the strategy of building a pre-war collection and war losses in this regard.

Conducted by: dr Maja Mociewicz

Co-financed from the funds of the Minister of Culture and National Heritage from the Culture Promotion Fund — a state special purpose fund, within the framework of the Polish War Losses Research programme.