plate no. 7147

A pressure of Tegernsee

Paul Klee, 1919

watercolorExpressionismcityscapecityscapechurchmountainsskygeometric shapesbuildings

recreation guide

A Pressure of Tegernsee (1919) is a watercolor work from Paul Klee’s 'Mystical-abstract period' (1914–1919), a time when he sought to create compositions analogous to nature's formative principles rather than imitating nature directly (Source 2). The artwork reflects Klee’s breakthrough in synthesizing draftsmanship with color, a development catalyzed by his 1914 trip to Tunisia where he realized 'Color and I are one' (Source 4). During this period, Klee often employed grid-like structures and geometric forms to dissolve scenery into colored harmony, moving toward abstraction while retaining a connection to the object (Source 2). The piece likely exhibits the 'fragile childlike quality' and small scale characteristic of his watercolors from this era, combining graphic signs with color fields (Source 3).

estimated time

10-15 hours over 3-4 sessions, allowing for drying time between washes and layers

materials

5 items

steps

5 in sequence

materials

item	purpose	modern equivalent
High-quality watercolor paper (linen rag preferred)	Support for the watercolor; must be properly sized to prevent uneven absorption and staining	Cold-pressed 300gsm cotton or linen rag watercolor paper
Watercolor paints (transparent and opaque/body colors)	To achieve the mix of transparencies and opacities described in Klee's practice	Professional grade tube watercolors
Gum arabic	Agglutinative medium for watercolors, as historically used in the period	Included in most modern watercolor formulations, but can be added for specific effects
Fine brushes (round and flat)	For applying washes and detailed graphic signs	Sable or synthetic watercolor brushes
India ink or pen (optional)	Klee often combined watercolor with pen and India ink for graphic elements	Black India ink and fine liner pens

preparation

surface prep

Use dry, high-quality watercolor paper that has not suffered from dampness, as dampness causes sizing to ferment and decompose, leading to stains (Source 1). The paper should be well-sized to prevent it from being too absorbent, ensuring the sizing is distributed in the paste rather than just on the surface (Source 1). Klee often worked on small-scale supports, including cardboard and paper (Source 3).

underdrawing

Klee was a natural draftsman and often combined graphic signs with color (Source 3). For this period, he used grid-like structures and geometric forms to organize the composition (Source 2). Begin with a light pencil sketch establishing the grid or structural framework, consistent with his method of conveying scenery in a grid to dissolve it into colored harmony (Source 2).

underpainting

Apply initial transparent washes to establish the color harmony. Klee’s approach involved creating compositions analogous to nature’s formative principles, using color blocks with limited overlap (Source 4). Reserve the paper for lights, as is traditional in watercolor wash techniques (Source 1).

color palette

Varied polychromatic hues

Dependent on the specific 'musical key' Klee chose for the piece; likely includes complementary or dissonant pairs

General use in this artist's palette; Klee used a great variety of color palettes from nearly monochromatic to highly polychromatic (Source 3)

Transparent washes

Watercolor diluted with water and gum arabic

Creating depth and harmony, allowing the paper to show through for lights (Source 1)

Opaque body colors

Watercolor mixed with more medium or ground with gum for solidity

Adding solidity and contrast to transparent areas, as Klee mixed opacities and transparencies (Source 1, Source 4)

composition

The composition likely employs a grid format or geometric forms, as Klee characteristically used these to dissolve scenery into colored harmony during his 1914–1919 period (Source 2). The arrangement may reflect a 'musical composition' analogy, with colored rectangles acting as notes (Source 4). Specific visual details of Tegernsee are not described in the sources, so the focus should be on the abstracted, grid-like structure rather than literal representation (Source 2).

step by step

underdrawing→first pass→refining→finishing

underdrawing

step 01
Sketch a light grid or geometric framework on the paper, establishing the basic structure of the composition.
Tip — Keep lines light to allow for correction and to avoid interfering with the watercolor washes.
Grid composition

first pass

step 02
Apply transparent washes to establish the overall color harmony, reserving areas for lights.
Tip — Ensure the paper is dry before applying subsequent layers to prevent muddiness.
Watercolor wash

refining

step 03
Add opaque body colors or impastements to create contrast and solidity, mixing transparencies and opacities.
Tip — Use gum arabic to adjust the transparency and solidity of the colors as needed.
Mixing opacities and transparencies
step 04
Incorporate graphic signs or pen lines if desired, combining watercolor with ink for added detail.
Tip — Allow ink to dry completely to prevent bleeding into wet watercolor areas.
Mixed media (watercolor and ink)

finishing

step 05
Review the composition for balance and harmony, making final adjustments to color and form.
Tip — Step back to view the work from a distance to assess the overall effect.
Color harmony

critical techniques

Mixing opacities and transparencies

Klee used a complex style of painting that included impastements, opacities, and transparencies, mixing ancient techniques with modern washes (Source 1).

Grid composition

Klee conveyed scenery in a grid to dissolve it into colored harmony, a method developed during his Tunis trip (Source 2).

Color harmony analogous to music

Klee viewed colored rectangles as musical notes, combining them to create a color harmony analogous to a musical composition (Source 4).

common pitfalls

→Using paper that has suffered from dampness, which can cause sizing to ferment and lead to stains (Source 1).
→Applying surface sizing only at the last moment, which can wear out and cause irregular sponginess and stains (Source 1).
→Overlapping colors without allowing layers to dry, resulting in muddy tones instead of clear harmonies.
→Failing to reserve lights, which is essential in traditional watercolor wash techniques (Source 1).

what the sources don't tell us

Where the corpus is silent, we say so rather than guess. These are the gaps a complete recreation guide would normally cover that our source passages don't.

·Specific color palette for 'A Pressure of Tegernsee' is not described in the sources; the guide relies on Klee's general practice of the period.
·Exact compositional layout of the cityscape is not detailed; the guide infers grid-like structure from general period characteristics.
·Specific brushwork techniques for this particular piece are not documented; the guide uses general watercolor techniques.

grounded in

The technical procedure in this guide traces to the following classical art-instruction texts.

The Science of Painting↗
- CHAPTER XIII. WATER COLOURS — applied to Paper preparation, mixing opacities and transparencies, and general watercolor techniques

cross-referenced from

Named facts about this artwork and artist were checked against these reference pages.

Wikipedia bio — Paul Klee↗
- part 11 — applied to Mystical-abstract period characteristics, grid composition, and color harmony
- part 8 — applied to Mixed media use, graphic signs, and general artistic style
- part 4 — applied to Color breakthrough and musical analogy for color composition

Read more about the corpus on the sources page and how the guides are built on the methods page.

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