Minneapolis Institute of Art

C. - C. = Fisch

Paul Klee

Date

1931

Medium

Watercolor and ink on gessoed paper, mounted on board

Department

European Art

Institution

Minneapolis Institute of Art

With the title C. - C. = Fisch, Paul Klee emphasizes the creative process at the heart of his drawing. According to the equation, Klee subtracted one letter C from another to form the fish's body, with the extended intersection of the two mirrored Cs defining the tail fin. The fish's eye and lateral fin can be discerned among a tangle of expressive, freely-drawn lines that also suggest a sense of motion, as if the fish is swimming forward. Throughout the compostion, Klee emphasizes the basic geometric elements of shape and line that are characteristic of much of his work, while reminding us that the artmaking process itself is the essential part of the picture. The notation S.cl on the mount of the drawing means Sonderclasse, or Special class in English. It was inscribed by Klee to identify those works he especially liked. Switzerland, Europe

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