Insects (Insekten) for the deluxe periodical Münchner Blätter für Dichtung und Graphik, vol. 1, no. 9 (September 1919)

Insects (Insekten) for the deluxe periodical Münchner Blätter für Dichtung und Graphik, vol. 1, no. 9 (September 1919) by Paul Klee is a significant graphic work created during a pivotal moment in German modernism. Executed in 1919, this piece is a lithograph to which Klee applied delicate watercolor additions, elevating the printed form into a unique mixed-media experience. The work was specifically commissioned for the September 1919 issue of the exclusive Munich-based literary and graphic art periodical, Münchner Blätter für Dichtung und Graphik.

As the title suggests, the composition depicts an array of insect forms, rendered through Klee’s distinct language of geometric abstraction and whimsical line work. Unlike his earlier expressionist phases, the forms here lean toward a structured, proto-Bauhaus precision, yet retain a poetic intimacy characteristic of the artist. The use of the lithograph allowed Klee to establish sharp, defined linework, which he then softened and individualized through subtle washes of color in the subsequent watercolor phase. This layering of print and pigment is characteristic of Klee's experimental approach to the graphic arts during this era, pushing the boundaries of what a fine art print could achieve.

The year 1919 was highly formative for Klee, just prior to his commencement of teaching at the Bauhaus. This work demonstrates his mature transition toward symbolic abstraction, where the natural world is internalized and represented through rhythmic patterns and coded signs. As a contribution to a high-end German literary periodical, the piece reached an elite audience interested in the merging of experimental literature and graphic arts. This delicate and precise exploration of natural forms in Insects (Insekten) stands as a crucial example of Klee’s development in the period leading up to the 1920s. This extraordinary example of graphic innovation currently resides in the collection of the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA), recognizing its importance to the history of modern art.