Virgin in the Tree (Jungfrau im Baum) from the series Inventions (Inventionen)

Virgin in the Tree (Jungfrau im Baum) from the series Inventions (Inventionen) is an early, powerful work by Paul Klee, executed in 1903. This piece is a significant example of Klee's nascent explorations into graphic arts, classified specifically as an etching, a demanding form of intaglio printmaking that relies on incised lines filled with ink. The Inventions series, consisting primarily of highly detailed prints created during his late student period, marks the German artist's transition from traditional academic study to independent creative expression.

Created before Klee developed the abstract, color-centric style for which he is most famous, this 1903 print retains a visceral, figurative, and symbolic intensity. The image depicts a solitary figure-the titular Virgin-trapped or emerging awkwardly from a rough, symbolic tree structure. Klee utilizes the stark linear quality and deep contrasts inherent in the etching medium to emphasize emotional drama and psychological tension within the composition. The work is highly expressive, reflecting an engagement with fin-de-siècle anxiety and grotesque symbolism common among German cultural movements of the period.

This specific artwork is crucial for understanding the chronological development of the master printmaker. While stylistically distant from the later Bauhaus-era color experiments, Virgin in the Tree reveals Klee's consistent thematic interest in myth, transformation, and the complicated interplay between the human form and the natural world. The deliberate complexity and technical skill required to produce such elaborate prints confirm Klee's mastery of the graphic arts early in his career. Today, this historically important etching resides in the esteemed collection of the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA), recognizing its foundational role in Klee’s revolutionary oeuvre.