Look first
With the Dot
Paul Klee · 1916
A tiny dot becomes an omen inside a world of spindly figures and wartime anxiety.
What to notice
Trace the thin geometric lines around the central figure, then notice how the dark circular form draws disproportionate attention.
Discover
Klee made this drawing during World War I, when his art increasingly used abstraction to process a violent world. The dot functions less as an object than as a sign of threat.
Source institution: Cleveland Museum of Art
Rights status: CC0 / Cleveland Museum of Art Open Access
Rights status: CC0 / Cleveland Museum of Art Open Access
Cleveland Museum of Art
Primary sourceSource & image rights verified for launch
