View over a River (Blick auf einen Fluss) for the portfolio Sema

View over a River (Blick auf einen Fluss) for the portfolio Sema is a seminal lithograph created by Paul Klee in 1912. This period marks a crucial moment for the artist, just prior to his pivotal 1914 trip to Tunisia and his deep involvement with the influential avant-garde group Der Blaue Reiter. The work belongs firmly to the early, experimental phase of German modernism, where artists were actively dismantling traditional pictorial norms.

Executed as a print for the Sema portfolio, this work was part of a larger publishing project intended to showcase contemporary artistic and literary talent. The production of fine prints like this allowed for wider distribution and engagement with emerging avant-garde aesthetics. Klee's technique, utilizing the inherent characteristics of the lithograph medium, emphasizes stark contrasts and simplified forms, facilitating a movement away from naturalistic representation toward abstraction.

Despite its title suggesting a recognizable geographical subject, View over a River focuses primarily on geometric simplification and dynamic linear structure. The composition is structured by angular lines and deep tonal variations typical of Klee’s production during early 1912. The artist often explored the tension between objective representation and abstract geometry, particularly through drawing and graphic media. This early piece anticipates the sophisticated use of the grid and controlled spatial organization that would define his later, more color-focused work, showcasing his rapid development as a master of both line and pictorial space.

As a key example of the artist’s developing style, this important German print is held in the permanent collection of the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York. The 1912 date anchors the work firmly in the pre-war expressionist moment, making it a valuable historical artifact illustrating Klee’s early, innovative transformation.