tief im Wald,1939

tief im Wald,1939 is a significant painting created by Paul Klee during the turbulent final years of his life, shortly after settling permanently in Switzerland. Executed using tempera and watercolor on an oil ground on canvas, the piece exemplifies Klee's meticulous, layered approach to combining media to achieve subtle textural and chromatic effects. The title, meaning "deep in the forest," suggests a retreat into an abstract, organic environment, reflecting the sense of internal exile Klee experienced following his designation as a "degenerate artist" by the Nazi regime.

Klee utilized thin washes and delicate, yet powerful, lines to construct this imagined woodland scene, where elemental forms merge with atmosphere. The synthesis of media—tempera providing underlying structure and watercolor offering luminous transparency—demonstrates Klee's technical mastery even as he grappled with advancing scleroderma. As a major example of the artist's late style, reflecting profound introspection during the eve of World War II, this canvas is a core holding of the Kunstsammlung NRW collection. While the original work is safeguarded by the museum, high-quality prints and digital reproductions of Klee’s celebrated modernist paintings are often made available through public domain initiatives, ensuring the broad study of his artistic legacy.