Paul Klee and Pablo Picasso are considered the great antipodes of modern art: one, romantic and spiritual; the other, Mediterranean and worldly. Klee’s poetry, as well as his liking for satire and irony, can be contrasted with Picasso’s drama, sensuality, and emotion. As different as they were, however, they were contemporaries and participated in the same artistic and historical events of their epoch. Here, Picasso had the more violent nature, which fascinated everyone, challenging people to agree with or contradict him. Klee was also impressed by the “Spaniard,” and his artistic dialogue with Picasso reveals a broad spectrum of human reactions: secret admiration, critical distance, appropriation, and independence. This is the first publication to deal with the complex relationship between the two artists, who are compared with each other through a number of their most excellent works. (French edition ISBN 978-3-7757-2634-4)

 

Exhibition schedule: Zentrum Paul Klee, Bern, June 6–September 26, 2010