Flower Gardens in Taora

In 1914, Klee traveled to Tunisia, where the rich colors and landscapes inspired a series of watercolors. These were thought to have motivated this exquisite gouache work, which can be linked to Klee's interest in dynamic abstraction, German Romanticism, and the underlying spirituality of art. It is consistent with the works Klee created during the war, which were luminous with color, often describing mysterious forests or gardens. The composition displays the intricate layering and mounting of paper and careful application of paint typical of Klee's artistic process. Its poetic forms and structuring of color can also be attributed to French avant-garde artists like Delaunay. Klee opposed the war but was less outspoken than many of his contemporaries. He was drafted in 1916 but managed to secure a desk job, enabling him to keep drawing and painting.