No comments about Paul Klee: Masterpieces of the Djerassi Collection.

5 comments about Paul Klee: Painting Music (Pegasus).

1. This book is a very good introduction to the artistic work of Paul Klee. The author explains in easy and helpful manner how the music influenced the painting production of Klee. A carefully attention is given how Klee tried to reproduce musical concepts as poliphony and rhythm in his painting. The book is rich in good quality photos. The only lacks are the absence of a bibliography and Duechting doesn't tell any anectodes about Klee, because anectodes are very usefull to remember the works and the life of artists. I advice to read this book all people they are interesting in modern painting.



2. This beautifully illustrated and wonderfully informative monograph is devoted to the reasonable (and wholly accepted) thesis that Paul Klee's dedication to, and love for, musical forms informed his prolific life in art, specifically drawing and painting. Duchting has chosen illustrations that consistently reinforce his assertions. The commentary is smart, informed, and lively. Even if you dozed in Art History, this book is excellent. Duchting has done his homework, consulting Klee's own (published) diaries, notebooks, and sketchbooks, and the extensive writings of Klee friend and biographer Will Grohmann, and additional early biographers. In addition Duchting has spent a lot of time looking at the paintings themselves. Some of Klee's incredible lecture notes (which you must see to believe) from his years of teaching art are included, as are several quick drawings and works of artists who were associated with Klee.

   This book has terrific production values. The paper is good,and the approximately 100 color reproductions are exquisite. Photographs of Klee, his wife Lily, and his studio. Page layout is a visual treat. It's really a gem of a book, right down to the lemon-yellow endpapers. There is a a short biography, pages of good endnotes, and a 'Selected Bibliography' (page 111).




3. If you have an interest in Klee and in particular his knowledge/love of music and how he tried to portray it through art, then this book is for you. Or even if you are looking for ways to portray music in your own artwork. For the money this book provides a wealth of information. The text is well written, avoids the "flowery" writing style that seems to abound in the world of art and its narratives. Originally written in German, the translator has done an excellent job. The quality of the book itself is excellent. It is liberally populated with colour and black & white images (the b/w images mainly reserved for pen and ink pieces). I think you would be very hard pushed to find a book on Klee offering better value for money than this one.



4. Like all the books in this series, this publication is great for its color reproductions and extremely concise summary of a specific aspect of Klee's oeuvre. Düchting's writing is approachable and straightforward. Though occasionally dry and not exactly dynamic in style, I recommend Marcel Franciscono's monograph for more in-depth information on the life and historical context of the artist.



5. this is a beautiful book. It is also interesting. But it lacks some intimacy with the artist and his emotions.

1 comments about The Novices of Sais.

1. Beautiful little book. Written by Novalis, one of the overlooked literary geniuses of all time, this book is one of his major works. His writings were few and fragmentary due to an early death at age 29. What he did write is profound. The drawings by Paul Klee are interesting but no match for the beauty and depth of Novalis' mind.

1 comments about Sticker Art Shapes: Paul Klee (Sticker Art Shapes).

1. This a great resource for using in school with younger children. I introduced them to Paul Klee and used this sticker book to help them create their own "Klee". It was fun for them and a fun way to learn about Shapes and Klee. I will use it again in following years.

2 comments about Pedagogical Sketchbook.

1. I found this book to be a wonderful tool, once understood... and that may take some time!!



2. This book is simply great - I recommend it highly to any serious student of art. It is one of the classics of modern art, of interest to artists, teachers, students, theoreticians, historians, and fans of Paul Klee. Pedagogical Sketchbook is the distilled essence of Klee's concepts of art production. Created in 1923 as a teaching tool for his students at the Bauhaus, it was the second of fourteen Bauhaus Books edited by Walter Gropius and L. Moholy-Nagy. First published in England in 1953 and the United States in 1960, it has been an important influence on generations of practicing artists and theoreticians.
   
   An abstraction of his ideas on teaching and creating art, it can sometimes be difficult to follow, since it assumes that some narrative and examples will be added during classes. However, Sibyl Moholy-Nagy writes a narrative introduction that explores Paul Klee's aesthetic ideas related to teaching, and a concluding note with brief suggestions as to how the sketchbook can be used for teaching or artistic research.
   
   Titled " Initial Plan for a Section of the Theoretical Instruction at the German Bauhaus", this book is a set of working notes that are the basis for art instruction at the Bauhaus - you can almost see Paul Klee presenting the ideas in a class. Beginning with the primary graphic element of a point moving forward to create a line, it is a course on how to make art based on Klee's deeply considered artistic process. It consists of step-by-step lessons, with abstract written concepts that analyze artistic process, and drawings that are examples of how those ideas can be put into practice.
   
   Although it was based on the then-current 2D graphic arts of painting, drawing, and printmaking, it is also valuable for current artists working in time based and interactive forms since it considers aesthetics and structure as the result of process. In a relatively short space, it investigates a wide range of practical and conceptual approaches to art making, from line, to plane, to structure and composition, to materials, physics, symbols, and motion. Its well-considered concepts enable artists of any aesthetic persuasion to apply its ideas and lessons to their own work. It requires concentration to understand, but it is truly worth the effort.

1 comments about Paul Klee (Getting to Know the World's Greatest Artists).

1. I was not a fan of this artist until I saw his work in a museum. It was there that I discovered a unique array of creativity and imagination that brought about colors, lines, forms, music and rhythm all within a painting.
   This book gave a brief yet descriptive history about one of the less talked abstract artists in history. His eclectic painting techniques and style grasped the attention of many different spectators.
   I enjoyed reading and sharing this book to others, especially kids. The book opened the eyes of students who found it difficult to find their inner creativity. The book also talks about how music and rhythm are incorporated into his abstract and colorful paintings.

2 comments about Dreaming Pictures: Paul Klee (Adventures in Art).

1. This charming book is presented as a children's book, but is suitable for all ages. The large, beautiful illustrations and reproductions coupled with the whimsical text make this imaginative book a delight to look at and read. Small children will appreciate the bright colors of the artworks, and the parents will appreciate the inventive way the author introduces an artist to children - without pretension or difficulty. Any parent wishing to raise culturally educated children should buy this book today! (PS: I say this with experience, both my 3 year old and my 10 year old love this book, but for very different reasons -- and I even catch my husband flipping through it at times)



2. If you are in early education this book is great for children to see line and patterns. Paul Klee is know for his childlike artwork and it gives children ideas of what to look for in his paintings. The history of his life is also very interesting and that is on the last 2 pages.

2 comments about Paul Klee: Hand Puppets (Emanating).

1. I just got this newly published book and it is simply wonderful. I have a huge puppet book library and having just skimmed through it, I am thrilled to see all photos/puppets are ones I've never seen anywhere else. The puppets of Klee are an absolute inspiration, and I am so glad there is a new book that introduces them to a new generation. The only other book about these puppets is in the range of $500.00 if you can even find one, so this is an absolute steal, and probably will become collectible as well. This is put out by the new Paul Klee museum and text and photos are all fascinating. You must have this for your puppet library!



2. This is a great book for more "out there" puppeteers, artists and lovers of Paul Klee's art. His son, Felix, reminisces about his childhood with his artistic Papa, who built whimsical, sometimes scary and political, puppets for his young son's enjoyment. There are many photos of the restored puppets and Felix's stories about them and his father are charming.

1 comments about The Diaries of Paul Klee, 1898-1918.

1. When I picked up the Paul Klee Diaries it fell open to the sentence every artist must secretly yearn to see: "...I am still incapable of painting, in spite of my sharp observation of tonal values and inspite of my clever way of determining the proper gradations of light and dark." Well! If he had trouble, there must be hope for the rest of us! The diaries, edited by his son and published posthumously, cover his 19th to 40th years as he travels, attends concerts, draws, paints and engages in intense artistic discourse with friends like Kandinsky and Macke. An exquisite writer, Klee captures whole experiences in a few brief words. The book is a chronicle of the development of both the artist and the art of his time. I especially liked the precise descriptions of his drawing experiments and periodic review of his progress. His grasp of techniques and insights into the creative process can be returned to again and again.

3 comments about Paul Klee: Selected by Genius, 1917-1933 (Art Flexi).

1. This is one of the most beautiful and in-depth studies on the art of Paul Klee I have ever seen. The essays give wonderfully in-depth background on Klee's creative process, based on the study of the works that he kept for his personal collection. In many of these works we find the archetypes that informed most of his very personal and highly expressive iconography. The works in the exhibition, 80 works, are all top-quality Klee, and offer a well-rounded selection of works created during his most prolific and creative period (1917-1933). But there are also works included up to 1939, as well. Prestel has really outdone themselves in this incredibly splendid publication. The design, printing, and quality of manufacturing are all first-rate, and the price is astonishingly low...even the Amazon list price is a bargain, and this superior volume is discounted even more. Anyone with an interest in 20th Century art will absolutely want to own this gorgeous book, and if you are a fan of the work of Klee, as I am, you will find it an indispensible addition to your library.



2. I found a few color repros in this book that I haven't seen in other books.I like most of the selections with the exception of a few that look like Kandinsky.Yet, I prefer the Kandinskys that are similar to Klee.I have a large collection of postcards of Klee from museums,I am always on the lookout for Klees that I haven't seen The reproductions are very good.I have over 40 books on Klee. I have visited the Klee Foundation collection in Berne.The Klees in the Philips collection + MOMA and the Guggenheim,.Lenbachaus (Munich)I went to MOMA's Klee exhibition awhile back...you had to wait in line to see each piece.This book is well worth the price .Others have commented on the high quality of the design of the book.The essays are a worthwhile read.Especially the piece on the presentation of Klee's work, his method of mounting drawings and watercolors,sometimes adding color to the border of a work,His mounting of paper over burlap. Only a few books reproduce the work with the frame showing.. This discussion is something that is not found in the plethora of literature on Klee. Number one mentions Klee's extensive influence on modern painters. They fail to mention Picasso, (from a Picasso museum catalogue) ---"Picasso did many of the drawings for Guernica after meeting Klee in Suisse,that may have been influenced by Klee".They do discuss the culture of experimentation that both artists shared.To really understand Klee it is a good idea to buy every book you can on this wonderful artist. A pervasive attitude during the fifties was:the work is a secret..My problem in buying books : I read the essays right away..the first day.In this case 36 pages. The fifteen dollars is still worthwhile because of the gorgeous plates of Klee's work.I continue to look at the work more than any prolix essays.The type of soft cover of this type holds up well over time.This is a book you can take to bed with you and study a painting ..and pleasantly send you off to dream land!



3. The size of the book is a little small. However, the quantity and quality of the images is definitely worth the price.