Digital Guide

Paul Klee

Prizewinning Apple

Ölfarbe auf Nesseltuch auf Holz; rekonstruierter Rahmen, 50,5 x 50,5 cm

Zentrum Paul Klee, Bern, Depositum aus Privatbesitz, Schweiz

Apple tree

There are over a dozen fruit trees on the grounds of the Zentrum Paul Klee: mostly apple trees, but also plum, cherry, and pear trees. They contribute to the variety and diversity of our grounds. When they bloom in white splendour each spring, they are a feast for the eyes. And it's also a treat for the palate when their fruit is harvested and eaten in the autumn. Fruit trees exemplify the changing and cyclical aspects of nature: From bare winter branches to the splendour of springtime blossoms and fall fruit.

About the Work

The shape of an apple is perfectly simple: round, with indentations at the top and bottom, striking in colour, and appealing to bite into. Paul Klee used this as inspiration for his “Prizewinning Apple.” More than anything, the work is form and colour. The shape of the apple seems huge while the ladder in the background is tiny. The apple almost bursts beyond the space of the picture; there is hardly any room left for the stem. Only the remnant of the blossom on the underside of the apple, its stem, and the ladder make this a representational image. With the word “prizewinning,” Klee emphasizes the beauty of this apple and perhaps that of nature itself.

Learn more: The Beauty of Nature

There are probably an infinite number of beautiful things in nature: a colourful flower, a strawberry, a butterfly, a landscape, a sunset. We are fascinated by the variety of these beautiful forms and phenomena – as if nature had boundless creative power. It is precisely this beauty and the feelings we associate with it that have made us long to be in nature for centuries. People intentionally travel to relatively untouched natural settings to relax and enjoy the beauty. For artists such as Paul Klee, nature offers countless charms. With its veritable treasure trove of motifs, nature is likely the most important source of artistic inspiration.