Queen of Hearts (Herzdame)

Queen of Hearts (Herzdame) is a significant lithograph created by the pioneering Swiss-German artist Paul Klee in 1921. This print originates from a critical period spanning 1901 to 1925, during which Klee was developing the abstract language that would define his career and profoundly influence 20th-century art. Having joined the faculty of the Bauhaus school in 1920, Klee concurrently balanced his roles as a theoretician, teacher, and prolific creator, often experimenting extensively within the medium of prints.

This particular piece showcases Klee's distinct synthesis of graphic precision and abstraction. Using the lithograph process, where the image is drawn directly onto a plate or stone, Klee achieves a fine, almost calligraphic line that defines the fragmented, geometric profile of the subject. The representation of the 'Queen of Hearts' transforms the familiar playing card symbol into an intricate web of overlapping planes and suggestive forms, demonstrating Klee's interest in reducing visual complexity to its structural and rhythmic essentials.

As a leading figure in the European avant-garde, Klee successfully blended his native Swiss cultural background with the broader artistic impulses of Expressionism and Constructivism flourishing in Germany. The work emphasizes the conceptual weight of familiar objects, illustrating Klee’s belief that art should make the invisible visible. The composition relies on subtle contrasts and delicate handling of tone, maximizing the sparse use of shading inherent in the printmaking technique.

This historic print is a valuable entry in the history of graphic abstraction. The original work is housed in the collection of the National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C. Because of its age and institutional placement, reproductions of Queen of Hearts (Herzdame) are often available through public domain collections, allowing widespread study of Klee’s important contributions to printmaking in the 1920s.