Nationality
German
Artist Dates
1879-1940
Preview
Date of Work
1919
Medium
Lithograph
Signature
Signed in lithographic stone
Height
10 1/2"
Width
11 3/4"
Collection/Provenance
Art & Design Study Collection
Status
Stored: R06
Location
UND Art Collections Repository
Additional Information
Additional information provided by Cassidy Anderson:
Paul Klee (German, b.1879-1940)
Moribundus, 1919
Lithograph
Paul Klee was born in Münchenbuchsee, Switzerland. As a child, he studied music and showed great skill as a violinist. In his teen years, his focus shifted to visual art and, in 1898, Klee moved to Munich, Germany to study at the Academy of Fine Arts.
In 1916, Klee was drafted to the German army, where he painted camouflage on airplanes and worked as a clerk. Two years later, Klee was released from duty and returned to his home in Munich. During World War I, he experienced the loss of his friends, Auguste Macke and Franz Marc. Klee’s work greatly evolved during the war, creating several pen-and-ink lithographs in response to his loss. An example of this work may be seen in this lithograph. The title of this piece, Moribundus, is Latin meaning “at the point of death.”
Condition
Excellent
Rights
Images are provided for educational purposes only and may not be reproduced for commercial use. Images may be protected by artist copyright. A credit line is required to be used for any public non-commercial educational purpose. The credit line must include, “Image courtesy of the University of North Dakota.”