Paul Klee (1879–1940) was a Swiss-born German modernist artist renowned for his highly individual and innovative style. A gifted musician who played violin, Klee's deep connection to music profoundly influenced his art. His career was shaped by major art movements, including Expressionism, Cubism, and Surrealism, though his unique work defied simple categorization.
A crucial breakthrough in Klee's use of color came during a 1914 trip to Tunisia, where he famously declared, "Color and I are one". From 1921 to 1931, he taught at the influential Bauhaus school, becoming a significant art theorist. Persecuted by the Nazis, who confiscated his work, he returned to Switzerland, where he battled a debilitating illness until his death in 1940.