Paul Klee
A man sinks down before the crown, 1904
Etching, 15,9 x 15,9 cm
Zentrum Paul Klee, Bern
In 1903, Paul Klee began a series of etchings that he called “Inventions.” As in today’s caricatures, the motifs are satirical references to current issues and events. Here, naked figures are shown in an exaggerated, almost grotesque manner. The musculature of these thin figures is overtly defined. Klee’s “Inventions” comment upon to the standards and norms of his day. In “A Man Sinks Down before the Crown,” Klee addresses the submissive attitude and blind obedience toward authorities like the emperor.