Paul Klee

An infra-red reflectogram reveals a figurative representation on the back of Plumblines (1925). As a result, the one sheet brings together two opposing aspects of Paul Klee’s art: his engagement with abstraction and theoretical issues and his interest in figurative representation and esoteric motifs.

The watercolour Plumblines was created as part of Klee’s teaching of visual form and design theory at the Bauhaus in Weimar and Dessau. In it he discusses “the law of movement in static and dynamic contexts”.

The red watercolour is applied to the Ingres paper using a spray technique. The resulting cloudy layer of colour gives the impression of a cosmic weightlessness. In contrast to this are the inverted T-shaped elements that seem to symbolise earthly gravity. The image is articulated into three sections – earth, atmosphere, and cosmos – which mark the transition from the static to the dynamic.

By contrast, on the back, rotated 90 degrees, is an image of a human figure accompanied by an animal-like creature. The figure has a third eye on its forehead; its body is adorned with chains and mystical symbols. These attributes characterise the figure as likely being from the margins of society – perhaps a circus performer or magician.

Two opposing worlds exist on each side of the sheet of paper: that of the abstract treatment of ideas from art theory, and that of the figurative representation of the mythical and magical.