This painting displays intersecting lines and block shapes creating an abstract scene. Rectangular grids and curved lines evoke buildings or architectural structures, with two tall shapes on the left and right appearing like tall towers or walls with pointed roofs, and a shape in the center looking like an arch or an opening across a pathway or bridge. These shapes have been painted with black outlines, but within those outlines and overlapping with them are circles of bright green, yellow, pink, red, and dark blue, with some white between the circles. The paint has been applied thickly, with wide, visible brushstrokes.
Read the visual description

This painting displays intersecting lines and block shapes creating an abstract scene. Rectangular grids and curved lines evoke buildings or architectural structures, with two tall shapes on the left and right appearing like tall towers or walls with pointed roofs, and a shape in the center looking like an arch or an opening across a pathway or bridge. These shapes have been painted with black outlines, but within those outlines and overlapping with them are circles of bright green, yellow, pink, red, and dark blue, with some white between the circles. The paint has been applied thickly, with wide, visible brushstrokes.

National Gallery of Art · Drawing

Baum und Architektur--Rhythmen (Tree and Architecture--Rhythms)

Paul Klee

Date
1920
Medium
oil on paper
Dimensions
overall: 27.9 x 38.3 cm (11 x 15 1/16 in.)
Classification
Drawing
Accession number
2004.140.41.a
Credit line
Gift of Benjamin and Lillian Hertzberg
Time span
1901 to 1925
Department
CG-W

Subjects and terms

  • architecture
  • Swiss
  • Building
Provenance

Benjamin and Lilian Hertzberg, New York; gift to NGA, 2004.

NGA object ID 130844. Collection metadata is reproduced under CC0. This work is included because its NGA published-image record is marked open access; visitors should recheck the source record before substantial reuse.