Summer Houses

Paul Klee’s Summer Houses: A Study in Chromatic Geometry

Painted in 1919, Summer Houses marks a pivotal moment in Paul Klee’s career, bridging his early experiments in color theory with the more abstract compositions that would define his later work. The painting emerged during a period of intense creative exploration, as Klee synthesized influences from Cubism, Expressionism, and his own pedagogical studies at the Bauhaus. Unlike the dense, symbolic landscapes of his Swiss years, this work distills architecture into a series of luminous, interlocking planes—each block of color functioning as both structure and atmosphere. The palette, dominated by ochres, cadmium yellows, and muted blues, reflects Klee’s fascination with the optical effects of sunlight on built forms, a theme he would revisit throughout the 1920s.

The composition’s apparent simplicity belies its technical sophistication. Klee employed a method he termed “gradation,” where hues shift incrementally across the canvas to create depth without traditional perspective. As The Museum of Modern Art notes in its analysis of his Bauhaus-era works, this approach allowed him to “dissolve the boundary between object and space,” a radical departure from the illusionistic traditions of Western painting. In Summer Houses, the interplay between the warm, earthy tones of the buildings and the cool, receding blues of the sky exemplifies this technique, producing a visual rhythm that oscillates between flatness and dimensionality.

Klee at the Bauhaus: Where Pedagogy Met Innovation

By 1919, Klee had begun teaching at the Bauhaus, where his theories on form and color would influence generations of artists. Summer Houses reflects the pedagogical principles he developed during this period, particularly his emphasis on the “active line” and the emotional resonance of color. Unlike his contemporaries—such as Wassily Kandinsky, who sought spiritual transcendence through abstraction—Klee remained anchored in the observable world, albeit a world refracted through his unique visual language. The houses in this painting are not mere representations but abstractions of memory and perception, rendered with a precision that borders on the architectural yet retains a dreamlike quality.

The work also reveals Klee’s engagement with the German Expressionist movement, though his approach was more restrained than that of groups like Die Brücke. Where Ernst Ludwig Kirchner and Emil Nolde employed jagged brushwork and visceral color to convey emotional intensity, Klee achieved similar effects through meticulous composition and chromatic harmony. As documented in the Tate’s archives, his Bauhaus lectures often returned to the idea of “taking a line for a walk”—a metaphor that finds literal expression in the undulating contours of Summer Houses’ rooftops and facades.

Klee’s genius lay in his ability to reconcile opposites: the geometric and the organic, the rational and the poetic. Summer Houses is a masterclass in this balance, where every color and line serves a dual purpose—structural and lyrical.

The Making of Summer Houses: Technique and Materials

Layered Transparency and Optical Mixing

Klee executed Summer Houses using a combination of oil and watercolor on paper mounted on cardboard, a support he favored for its absorbency and texture. The thin, translucent layers of pigment allowed underlying colors to subtly influence the surface hues, creating a luminosity that would be impossible on a primed canvas. This technique, which he described as “staining,” enabled him to build depth through color rather than shadow—a method that aligned with his rejection of chiaroscuro in favor of what he called “color perspective.”

Composition as Counterpoint

The painting’s grid-like structure is deceptive in its regularity. Upon closer inspection, the alignment of the houses reveals deliberate asymmetries: the leftmost building leans slightly inward, while the central structure’s roof tilts upward, disrupting the horizontal dominance. These subtle distortions introduce a musical quality to the composition, akin to the syncopated rhythms of a Bach fugue—a comparison Klee himself invoked in his lectures. The vertical lines of the doorways and windows act as visual “rests,” punctuating the horizontal flow of the rooftops and grounding the eye.

Styling Summer Houses: A Designer’s Guide

With its warm, earthy palette and geometric clarity, Summer Houses complements a range of interior styles, from mid-century modern to contemporary minimalism. The 30×40 cm (12×16") dimensions make it ideal for smaller walls—consider placing it above a console table in an entryway or as the focal point of a gallery wall in a study. The painting’s ochres and umbers harmonize with natural wood tones, while the cool blues provide a striking contrast against white or light gray walls. For a bold statement, pair it with deep teal or terracotta accents, which will echo the work’s subtle color transitions.

Avoid overly ornate frames; Klee’s compositions demand clean lines to preserve their modernist integrity. This print arrives in a slim, neutral-profile frame that enhances its architectural precision without competing with it. In a room with abundant natural light, the matte finish will minimize glare, allowing the layered colors to retain their depth throughout the day.

More Works by Paul Klee

Explore Klee’s evolution from his early Expressionist phase to the poetic abstractions of his later career.

Paul Klee

Castle And Sun

View print

Paul Klee

The Light And So Much Else

View print

Paul Klee

Halme

View print

Paul Klee

Park Bei Lu

View print

You May Also Love

Post-Impressionism

Paul Cezanne

Farm At Montgeroult

View print

Neo-Dada

Jasper Johns

False Start

View print

Post-Impressionism

Maurice Utrillo

Lapin Agile 1

View print