In the Magic Mirror

In the Magic Mirror is an abstract oil painting produced in 1934 by the Swiss-based German artist Paul Klee. It is now in the collection of the Art Institute of Chicago. [1]

In the Magic Mirror
ArtistPaul Klee
Year1934
Mediumoil on canvas on board
Dimensions66 cm × 50 cm (26 in × 20 in)
LocationArt Institute of Chicago, Chicago

It features a blank face on which a vertical line snakes from top to bottom, "taking a dot for a walk", as Klee was wont to say. In the process three faces evolve, one looking left, one looking right and one looking out of the canvas with two tear shaped eyes. Below the faces is a single isolated black heart.

Produced shortly after Klee was branded a degenerate artist by the ruling Nazi party in 1933, with the subsequent loss of his position in Germany and an enforced move to Switzerland, the picture appears to represent his disillusionment. The knotted brow, the tear shaped eyes and the black heart communicate anxiety, distress and bitterness.

References
  1. "In the Magic Mirror". Art Institute of Chicago. Retrieved 23 January 2020.
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