Schwarze Messe (1936)

This page presents "Schwarze Messe" (1936), created by Paul Klee. Abstract, a short history: It emerged in the early twentieth century, when several artists in Europe and Russia developed non-representational painting during the 1910s. Movements of later decades, including Abstract Expressionism and geometric abstraction, carried non-representational ideas into new scales and materials. Historical background, 1936: Dada and Surrealism followed the First World War, the Bauhaus school was founded in 1919, and Art Deco became the fashionable decorative style of the 1920s and 1930s. Posters, magazines, and illustrated books were major ways for the public to meet new art and design. The catalogue places it in Abstract. The format is landscape.

Everything for "Schwarze Messe" arrives digitally: Digital JPEG + PDF files, 300 DPI. Once payment is confirmed, an email brings the download link, and from there you decide how to print it, whether at home, at a print shop, or through an online service. A landscape format suits wide, low wall spaces such as the stretch above a bed, mantel, or sideboard. Matching the frame to the image proportions avoids cropping. Hang the print away from direct sunlight, which over the years can fade any printed colour. Choosing a standard frame size and printing to fit it often saves the cost of custom framing. Matte and fine-art papers reduce glare in bright rooms, while glossy papers give stronger contrast and deeper blacks.

German, 1879–1940

If you like the visual language of Paul Klee, explore more works by the same artist in our collection.