Day Music (Musique diurne) from Art d'Aujourd'hui, Maîtres de l'Art Abstrait (Art of Today, Masters of Abstract Art), Album I

Day Music (Musique diurne) from Art d'Aujourd'hui, Maîtres de l'Art Abstrait (Art of Today, Masters of Abstract Art), Album I is a significant print by Paul Klee. This specific piece is a screenprint reproduction produced in 1953, derived from an original German composition executed by the artist in 1940. It forms part of a seminal portfolio designed to broadly disseminate the works of leading international modernists.

Klee was one of the foremost proponents of abstract art in the 20th century, renowned for blending elements of Cubism, Surrealism, and Expressionism into a unique, highly graphic style. Although the original 1940 artwork was created late in his career, it exemplifies the complexity of his mature sensibility. The composition is characterized by delicate, rhythmic lines and subtle geometric structuring, utilizing a carefully modulated palette to evoke musicality through visual means. Klee’s lifelong exploration of the relationships between visual art and sound is clearly evident in the piece, translating the temporal structure of music into a spatial experience.

The 1953 print is one of sixteen high-quality reproductions comprising the portfolio Art d'Aujourd'hui, Maîtres de l'Art Abstrait, Album I. The utilization of the screenprint medium for this portfolio reflects the mid-century drive to use mass-reproduction techniques to make major abstract masterpieces accessible to a wider audience. The ability to create accurate, vibrant prints of the original 1940 composition ensured Klee's influence continued decades after his death. This particular example of the print classification currently resides in the collection of the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA). The museum holds this crucial example of modern prints, often making the underlying composition available through public domain initiatives for research and educational accessibility.