Paul Klee
Reflected Motion of a Broken Line Through 4 Planes, 1931
Pen on paper on cardboard, 48,3 x 30,6 cm
Zentrum Paul Klee, Bern
Between 1921 and 1931, Klee taught formation theory at the Bauhaus in Weimar and Dessau. In his lessons, Klee also addressed topics such as the geometry of planes (planimetry) and 3D shapes (stereometry), and more generally, how to construct simple and complex forms. These concerns also extended to his own practice. Around 1930, he made dozens of drawings related to the configuration of forms. As a whole, they are somewhat challenging and fully abstract. Klee experimented with the ways lines and forms progress across the picture plane or how 3D bodies appear on flat surfaces. In this pen and ink drawing, the line is precisely constructed and carefully drawn with a ruler. The title refers to the mode of construction: the sharp line is reflected four times.