Paul Klee (1879 Münchenbuchsee – 1940 Muralto), "The Acrobats," 1919

Biography
Paul Klee was an artist of Swiss-German origin who played a pivotal role in the development of 20th-century modern art. He studied at the Academy of Fine Arts in Munich in the studios of Heinrich Knirr and Franz von Stuck. Klee loved to experiment, which made his work diverse and constantly evolving. He did not limit himself to specific techniques. He readily used oil, watercolor, and ink, often combining them with drawing. Klee was famous for drawing inspiration from children’s art and primitive art. Music—a field in which both of his parents were professionally involved—had a major influence on his art, as did his numerous travels, particularly to Tunisia in 1914, which prompted him to explore color theory and transformed his approach to form. Paul Klee also became renowned as an outstanding art theorist, whose essays and treatises had a significant impact on the art and culture of his time. Among his most highly regarded theoretical works are his notes on the analysis of form, color, and composition, dating from his time at the Bauhaus. After the end of World War I, Paul Klee taught at the Bauhaus. Beginning in 1931, he lectured at the Düsseldorf Academy. In 1933, after the Nazis came to power, Klee returned to Switzerland, where he continued his creative work until the end of his life, despite his progressive scleroderma. His works are valued worldwide, and the largest collection of them (a total of over 4,000 works) is held by the Paul Klee Museum in Brno.