The artwork “Six Species” is a creation by Paul Klee from the year 1921, residing within the artistic movement of Surrealism. This figurative piece forms a part of the Felix Klee Collection in Bern, Switzerland, and presents the viewer with an imaginative representation that is reflective of Klee’s unique interpretive visual language.
Paul Klee’s “Six Species” features an array of abstract forms that seem to float against a softly graduated, watercolor-washed background. The artwork consists of six main elements that each appear to be abstract creatures or objects with distinct characteristics. They are rendered in a palette of muted colors, primarily browns, reds, blues, and greys, each form variably combining geometric and organic shapes.
The geometric aspects include squares, triangles, and rectangles that might be interpreted as simplified bodies, while lines extending from these shapes suggest limbs or supports, evoking a sense of otherworldly organisms or mechanical entities. A centrally placed form includes a circle and adjoining shapes, hinting at a rudimentary, perhaps whimsical, facial feature or a symbolic element.
The overall effect conjured by Klee here is open to interpretation, residing in the intersection of the real and imaginary. “Six Species” adheres to the artist’s theoretical framework around the abstraction of natural forms and his desire to delve into the unconscious through his art. Klee’s technique, with its translucent layering and delicate color gradations, imparts a dreamlike quality to the composition, inviting contemplation regarding the essence and relationships of these surreal entities.
