Paul Klee – The Heart of the Collection
The history of the Kunstsammlung Nordrhein-Westfalen unfolds with these paintings. In 1960, the state of North Rhine-Westphalia acquired 88 pivotal works by Paul Klee from a private collection in the United States. This acquisition not only paid tribute to the artist but also aimed to address a historical injustice: Klee had served as a professor at the Düsseldorf Academy of Art from 1931 to 1933. However, with the rise of the Nazi regime, he was dismissed from his position. Many academics and artists faced a similar fate. Labelled as a “degenerate artist” and deemed “politically unreliable,” Klee emigrated to Switzerland in late 1933.
Today, K20 in Düsseldorf is home to 135 works by Paul Klee. More works are constantly being added to the Collection Online and grouped together in this album. The inventory numbers, beginning with 0001, indicate that Klee’s works were the first objects in the museum’s collection. They were exhibited not only at Schloss Jägerhof, the Kunstsammlung’s first exhibition venue, but also in many museums around the world. You can view the original works in the current collection presentation. Come and visit us!
9 Works
