Artwork
Girl in Mourning
Girl in Mourning is an unspecified painting by Paul Klee. It dates from 1939 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
About this work
Overview
Created in 1939, *Girl in Mourning* is a modestly sized oil painting by Paul Klee, the Swiss‑born artist who worked in Germany. The work belongs to the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. It presents a single, seated figure rendered with a spare, gestural hand.
Subject & Meaning
The composition centers on a lone girl, her posture relaxed with crossed legs, her face reduced to two dots for eyes and a simple line for a mouth. The title suggests a state of grief or contemplation, though the muted palette and minimal detail leave the emotional tone open to interpretation.
Technique & Style
Klee employs thick, uneven brushstrokes that outline a loosely draped garment, allowing patches of light brown and beige canvas to show through. The drawing‑like quality, with its stark facial markers and simplified forms, reflects his interest in reducing subjects to essential lines while maintaining a sense of spontaneity.
History & Provenance
The painting was produced toward the end of Klee’s career, a period marked by increasing abstraction and personal reflection. After changing hands several times, it entered the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s holdings, where it is displayed as part of the museum’s modern European painting collection.
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Artist & collection
Artist
Paul Klee (German: ; 18 December 1879 – 29 June 1940) was a Swiss-born German artist.
