Artwork
Resting Ships
Resting Ships is a tempera painting by Paul Klee. It dates from 1927 and is held in the collection of the National Museum of Fine Arts, Argentina.
About this work
Overview
Created in 1927, Resting Ships is a tempera painting by Paul Klee, the Swiss‑born artist who worked in Germany. The work belongs to the collection of the National Museum of Fine Arts in Buenos Aires. Its surface is populated by a lattice of geometric forms rendered in a palette dominated by blues and grays, punctuated by vivid accents of red, orange, yellow, green and brown.
Subject & Meaning
Although the composition appears abstract, the arrangement of shapes suggests a maritime scene. A red circular element in the upper right can be read as a celestial body, while the blue planes beneath evoke water. Brown and orange blocks, positioned as if floating, hint at vessels at rest, aligning with the title’s reference to ships awaiting tide.
Technique & Style
Klee employed tempera, a fast‑drying medium that yields a matte, luminous surface. The painting demonstrates his synthesis of expressionist color, cubist fragmentation, and surrealist imagination. Flat planes intersect and overlap, creating a rhythm of line and color that reflects Klee’s ongoing investigations into the relationship between form and hue.
History & Provenance
After its completion, Resting Ships entered the holdings of the National Museum of Fine Arts in Buenos Aires, where it remains on view. The acquisition reflects the museum’s early 20th‑century efforts to incorporate European modernism into its collection, providing Argentine audiences access to Klee’s work.
Context
The piece belongs to a prolific period in Klee’s career when he was publishing his Notebooks on color theory and form. The painting embodies the theoretical concerns expressed in those writings, translating abstract principles into a visual field that balances systematic geometry with spontaneous color play.
Artist & collection
Artist
Paul Klee (German: ; 18 December 1879 – 29 June 1940) was a Swiss-born German artist.
Museum
National Museum of Fine Arts, Argentina
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