Paul Klee
Accusation in the Street, 1933
Chalk on paper on cardboard, 16,9 x 25 cm
Zentrum Paul Klee, Bern
When the National Socialists came to power in Germany in 1933, Paul Klee was not left unscathed. His work was unacceptable to them – and they later defamed it as degenerate. In a series of several hundred drawings, Klee grappled with the changes taking place in Germany that year. He did not draw specific people or events. Rather, he captured the general atmosphere in Germany. In Klee’s view, it was one of violence, oppression, and discrimination. To describe this chaotic, violent period, Klee employed a scrawled, agitated line.