“Paul Klee” the name echoes through the air. This Rue Paul Klee in Paris commemorates a remarkable artist. It honors a Swiss-born German painter whose unique style defied categorization.
The Rue Paul Klee stretches 127 meters. It is a private street in Paris’s 13th arrondissement. The street begins at 6 Rue Fulton and ends at 34 Avenue Pierre-Mendès-France. This street’s modern creation is part of the ZAC Paris Rive Gauche development. It was provisionally named “voie EI/13”. In 2003, it received its current name. The street opened to public traffic shortly thereafter.
So who was Paul Klee? Born in Switzerland in 1879, Klee’s artistic journey began with music. His father was a German music teacher and his mother a Swiss singer. Klee played violin. He even played in a symphony orchestra. But visual arts beckoned.
Klee’s style blends Expressionism, Cubism, and Surrealism. But he created something uniquely his own. His works often featured dots lines and planes. Childlike playfulness and dry humor characterized them. Klee worked in isolation. He used many media including oil paint, watercolor, ink, and pastel.
His art evokes mystery and beauty. He represented human figures, landscapes, and microcosms. Irony and absurdity often intertwined. Klee famously said, “Art does not reflect what is seen, rather it makes the hidden visible.”
The street has a modern art piece. It is called La Danse de la fontaine émergente. This work by Chen Zhen adds to the street’s artistic ambiance.
Klee’s influence extends beyond painting. His lectures are compared to Leonardo da Vinci’s writings. Klee produced about 9000 paintings drawings and watercolors.
During World War I, Klee served in the German army. But he continued to create art. He taught at the Bauhaus. This was an influential German art school. When the Nazis rose to power, they removed Klee from his position. They labeled his art as degenerate.
He moved to Switzerland. Klee suffered from scleroderma. This is a rare disease. He died in 1940. He never obtained Swiss citizenship. Klee’s tombstone reads “I cannot be grasped in the here and now.”
As you stroll along Rue Paul Klee remember the artist’s words. “Color and I are one. I am a painter.” He saw art as a parable of creation. Klee’s legacy lives on. It’s a testament to his unique vision. This Parisian street immortalizes a true artistic visionary.