Birthday of Paul Klee

Paul Klee was born in Switzerland on this day in 1879. His father was a music teacher and his mother liked to draw. Their talented son became a violinist and an artist. His paintings reflect his enchantment with aspects of Expressionism, Cubism, and Surrealism. Klee's love of bright colors and playful images are showcased in paintings of nature and city life.

To Name This Day:

Sample the art of Paul Klee by visiting PaulKlee.com.

Paul Klee's most famous statement about art is: "Art does not reproduce the visible. It renders it visible." But he had many other savvy and often witty things to say about the craft he perfected. Which is your favorite?

"A drawing is simply a line going for a walk."

"Color possesses me. I don't have to pursue it. It will possess me always, I know it. That is the meaning of this happy hour: Color and I are one. I am a painter."

"One eye sees, the other feels."

"The more horrifying the world becomes, the more art becomes abstract."

"The beholder's eye, which moves like an animal grazing, follows paths prepared for it in the picture.