Drinker (Trinker)

Drinker (Trinker) by Paul Klee, created around 1909, is an early and significant example of the artist's developing graphic sensibility, executed utilizing the demanding techniques of etching and drypoint. This print immediately precedes Klee’s full engagement with Expressionism and abstraction, representing a transitional moment in his career where figural studies dominated his output.

Klee mastered various graphic techniques, and this particular piece showcases the contrasting effects achieved through the combination of etching, which provides delicate, precise lines, and drypoint, which yields richer, burred textures due to the copper plate being incised directly. The work reflects the intellectual and artistic output of the German art world during this period, where printmaking was a central medium for exploring psychological states and societal observation.

Dated approximately c. 1909, this early work demonstrates Klee's nascent inclination toward caricature and stylized forms, distancing him from the prevailing trends of academic realism. The composition centers on a solitary figure engaged in consumption, rendered with the stark economy inherent in black-and-white printmaking. The focus lies heavily on the emotional or psychological tenor of the subject, prioritizing expression over narrative detail—a defining characteristic that Klee would expand upon dramatically in later, more abstract compositions.

Although many of Klee’s most famous works are colorful abstract canvases created decades later, early graphic explorations such as Drinker (Trinker) are vital for tracing the origins of his unique visual language and mastery of line. This significant example of the artist’s graphic work, reflective of the period’s German culture, is held in the esteemed collection of the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA). Influential prints like this are frequently studied by researchers, and high-resolution images of such historical works are often made available through public domain initiatives for academic access.