Zwei Männer, einander in höherer Stellung vermutend, begegnen sich (Two Men Meet, Each Believing the Other to Be of Higher Rank

Zwei Männer, einander in höherer Stellung vermutend, begegnen sich (Two Men Meet, Each Believing the Other to Be of Higher Rank) is a foundational work from the early career of Paul Klee, executed in 1903. This striking example of early 20th-century prints was created as an etching on zinc plate. Produced during the period of 1901 to 1925, this piece showcases the young Swiss artist’s early inclination toward satirical graphic art before his profound development into abstract painting and color theory.

The subject matter is explicitly social and psychological, focusing on the dynamics of perceived status and mutual deference. Klee renders the two men with exaggerated formality, utilizing the precise, angular line work characteristic of etching to mock the rigid social expectations of the era. The title itself suggests a moment of mutual, perhaps ridiculous, insecurity, highlighting human folly. The resulting composition is a stark, black-and-white confrontation, emphasizing the tension and formality inherent in the meeting.

This piece belongs to a small but significant group of dark, socially critical works Klee created in his formative years, which predated his modernist experimentation at the Bauhaus. The expressive and sometimes grotesque approach to the figure visible here demonstrates Klee’s early mastery of printmaking techniques and his preoccupation with behavioral observation.

As a crucial document of his artistic development, Zwei Männer, einander in höherer Stellung vermutend, begegnen sich provides insight into the visual and philosophical interests that underpinned Klee’s later abstract experiments. This early graphic work remains a key part of the prints collection at the National Gallery of Art, offering scholars and enthusiasts a direct look at the origins of one of the 20th century's most influential artists.