Small World (Kleinwelt)

Small World (Kleinwelt) is a seminal print created by Paul Klee in 1914. This intricate work, executed as an etching on zinc plate, showcases Klee’s early investigation into abstraction and simplified graphic forms. Produced just at the outbreak of World War I, the piece reflects the era of profound artistic and social transformation occurring in the period spanning 1901 to 1925.

The composition presents a dense, almost cellular arrangement of fragmented lines and shapes, suggesting a contained universe, fitting the title’s reference to a microscopic or confined sphere. Klee, a leading figure in early twentieth-century modernism, utilized the precision of the etching technique to emphasize linear structure and subtle textural contrast. Although primarily identified with Swiss culture, his artistic development was deeply influenced by the avant-garde movements centered in Munich and Paris, where he embraced Cubism and nascent abstract concepts before joining Der Blaue Reiter group.

This graphic work illustrates Klee’s fundamental commitment to reducing visual reality to its essential rhythmic and psychological elements, a theme he would explore extensively throughout his subsequent career. His early mastery of prints, like this etching, allowed him to disseminate his radical ideas effectively. As one of Klee's significant early works, Small World (Kleinwelt) holds importance in tracing the development of his unique artistic vocabulary. This impression is held in the extensive collection of the National Gallery of Art, providing crucial context for understanding the foundational works of modern art produced by artists like Klee during the first quarter of the twentieth century.