plate no. 4264

Reconstructing

Paul Klee, 1926

oilExpressionismcityscapecityscapegeometric shapesbuildingssunabstractarchitecture

recreation guide

Paul Klee’s *Reconstructing* (1926) is a cityscape that exemplifies his mature synthesis of draftsmanship and color theory, developed after his pivotal 1914 trip to Tunisia. Rather than imitating nature directly, Klee sought to create compositions analogous to nature’s formative principles, often dissolving scenery into colored harmonies or grids (Source 7). This work reflects his 'cool romanticism of abstraction,' where the object is never fully abandoned but transformed through a vocabulary of colored rectangles and lines that function like musical notes (Source 6). The painting likely employs his characteristic method of combining linear structure with transparent color layers, treating the canvas as a space for color experiments rather than mere representation.

estimated time

20-30 hours over 5-7 sessions (allowing for drying times between glazes)

materials

7 items

steps

7 in sequence

materials

item	purpose	modern equivalent
Oil paints (artist grade)	Primary medium for color application	—
Linseed oil	Medium to thin paint and increase oil content for 'fat over lean' layering	Stand oil or refined linseed oil
Mineral spirits or turpentine	Solvent for thinning initial layers and cleaning brushes	Odorless mineral spirits
Canvas or panel	Support surface	Primed linen or cotton canvas
Charcoal or thinned paint	Initial sketching of the composition	Vine charcoal or diluted oil wash
Palette knives and rags	Application and removal of paint layers	—
Cold wax or resins (optional)	Adjusting translucency and body of paint	Modeling paste or wax medium

preparation

surface prep

Prepare a rigid support (panel or stretched canvas) with a traditional ground. Klee’s work often involves a synthesis of drawing and color, suggesting a surface that can hold fine linear details while accepting transparent glazes. Ensure the ground is dry and stable to prevent cracking, as oil paint dries by oxidation and requires a stable film (Source 1).

underdrawing

Begin by sketching the subject onto the canvas with charcoal or thinned paint (Source 1). Klee’s style connects drawing and the realm of color; thus, the underdrawing should establish the 'grid' or structural lines that dissolve the scenery into colored harmony (Source 7). Use contour drawing techniques to emphasize the mass and volume of the cityscape elements rather than minor details, focusing on the outlined shapes (Source 8).

underpainting

Apply a monochromatic underpainting (grisaille) to establish values and composition. This technique allows the artist to mentally extract specific colors (like red and yellow) and focus on the structural form before introducing full color (Source 2). This aligns with Klee’s method of building color harmony analogous to musical composition, where the structure precedes the tonal variation (Source 6).

color palette

Pale/Transparent Tones

Thinned oils with linseed oil

General use in this artist's palette; Klee used pale watercolors and limited overlap in earlier works, transitioning to oil glazes

Complementary Pairs

e.g., Blue/Orange, Red/Green

Creating color harmony analogous to musical keys; Klee often used complementary or 'dissonant' colors (Source 6)

Colored Rectangles/Blocks

Opaque or semi-opaque oil

Basic building blocks of the composition, associated with musical notes (Source 6)

composition

The composition should avoid exact bisections of the picture space and ensure the prominent subject is off-center to create balance with smaller satellite elements (Source 5). Klee’s cityscapes often dissolve into a grid, so the arrangement of shapes should feel like a structured harmony rather than a literal depiction (Source 7). Use detailed areas and 'rest' areas to guide the viewer’s eye, ensuring no spaces between objects are identical to create visual interest (Source 5).

step by step

underdrawing→underpainting→first pass→refining→finishing→varnishing

underdrawing

step 01
Sketch the cityscape structure using charcoal or thinned paint, focusing on the grid-like arrangement of buildings and streets.
Tip — Focus on the mass and volume of the structures, not minor details (Source 8).
Contour drawing

underpainting

step 02
Apply a monochromatic layer (grisaille) to establish light and shadow values. Allow this layer to dry completely.
Tip — This prepares the surface for glazing and helps in mentally extracting colors (Source 2).
Grisaille

first pass

step 03
Begin applying color using thin layers of oil mixed with linseed oil. Follow the 'fat over lean' rule: each subsequent layer must contain more oil than the previous one to prevent cracking.
Tip — Ensure proper drying time; oil paint dries by oxidation, not evaporation (Source 1).
Fat over lean

refining

step 04
Use glazing (transparent coats of color) and scumbling (semi-opaque painting) to build up color harmony. Glaze over the dried underpainting to tint the engraving-like structure.
Tip — Glazing adds depth and luminosity; scumbling can create a grey bloom or coldness over darker grounds (Source 2).
Glazing and Scumbling
step 05
Refine the colored rectangles and lines that serve as the basic building blocks of the composition. Adjust translucency and density using cold wax or resins if needed.
Tip — Klee’s style involves combining drawing and color; ensure the linear elements remain distinct yet integrated with the color fields (Source 6).
Layering

finishing

step 06
Review the composition for balance. Ensure the center of interest is clear and that the viewer’s eye is led around all elements before exiting the picture.
Tip — Avoid symmetrical compositions unless intended; use contrast between detail and lack of detail to guide the eye (Source 5).
Compositional Balance

varnishing

step 07
Once the painting is completely dry (up to two weeks), apply a varnish to protect the surface and unify the sheen.
Tip — Varnish can also be mixed with oil for glazing in earlier stages, but final varnishing should be done on a fully cured painting (Source 1, Source 2).
Varnishing

critical techniques

Fat over Lean

A basic rule of oil paint application where each additional layer contains more oil than the layer below to allow proper drying and prevent cracking (Source 1).

Glazing

Applying a transparent coat of color over a dried underpainting to build depth and luminosity, similar to tinting an engraving (Source 2).

Color Harmony as Musical Composition

Klee treated colored rectangles as musical notes, combining them to create harmonies analogous to musical keys, using complementary or dissonant colors (Source 6).

Grid-like Abstraction

Dissolving scenery into a grid to create compositions analogous to nature’s formative principles, rather than imitating nature directly (Source 7).

common pitfalls

→Applying lean layers over fat layers, which will cause the painting to crack and peel (Source 1).
→Over-modeling or becoming too tied down to outlines, which can stifle the abstract harmony Klee sought (Source 4).
→Ignoring the drying time of oil paint, which dries by oxidation and can take up to two weeks to be dry to the touch (Source 1).
→Creating exact bisections in the composition, which can make the work feel static and unbalanced (Source 5).

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.

·The specific color palette used in *Reconstructing* (1926) is not detailed in the sources; Klee’s general use of complementary colors and pale tones is inferred from his broader practice.
·The exact layout of the cityscape in *Reconstructing* is not described in the sources; the guide relies on Klee’s general tendency to use grid-like structures and colored rectangles.
·Specific preparatory sketches or studies for *Reconstructing* are not mentioned; the underdrawing step is based on general oil painting techniques and Klee’s emphasis on draftsmanship.

grounded in

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

The Practice of Oil Painting↗
- COLOURING A MONOCHROME — applied to Grisaille underpainting, glazing, and scumbling techniques

cross-referenced from

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

Wikipedia: Oil painting↗
- Oil painting — part 2 — applied to Materials, fat over lean rule, drying time, and application methods
Wikipedia: Composition (visual arts)↗
- Composition (visual arts) — part 1 & 6 — applied to Compositional principles, balance, and guiding the viewer’s eye
Wikipedia bio — Paul Klee↗
- Paul Klee — part 4 & 11 — applied to Klee’s artistic style, color theory, grid-like abstraction, and musical analogy
Wikipedia: Contour drawing↗
- Contour drawing — part 1 — applied to Underdrawing technique focusing on mass and volume