(b Munchenbuchsee, nr. Berne, 18 Dec. 1879; d Muralto, nr. Lucarno, 29 June 1940). German-Swiss painter, printmaker, teacher, and writer on art, one of the most individual and best-loved figures in 20th-century art. He is often referred to as Swiss (his mother's nationality), but he held German citizenship (through his father) all his life. From 1898 to 1901 he studied in Munich, principally at the Academy under Franz von Stuck. After travelling in Italy, 1901–2, he lived in Berne for the next four years, then in 1906 moved to Munich after marrying the German pianist Lily Stumpf (both Klee's parents were musicians and he was himself a violinist of professional standard). In 1911 he became friendly with Jawlensky, Kandinsky (whom he had first met as a student ten years earlier), Macke, and Marc, and in the following year he took part in the second Blaue Reiter exhibition.

Text source: The Oxford Dictionary of Art and Artists (Oxford University Press)


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