Born: 18 February 1879 · Died: 29 May 1940 · Age at death: 61
How old was Paul Klee when he died?
Paul Klee died aged 61. He was born on 18 February 1879 and died on 29 May 1940.
Swiss-German artist whose explorations of colour theory and teaching at the Bauhaus made his lectures essential texts for modern art
Quick facts
Date of birth18 February 1879
Date of death29 May 1940
Age at death61
NationalitySwiss-German
BirthplaceMünchenbuchsee, Switzerland
Editor's Take:
Klee's career traced an unusual arc from musical prodigy to visual revolutionary. His late arrival at colour mastery—he confessed in **1902** that years of struggle lay ahead—makes his eventual theoretical writings all the more remarkable. The domestic arrangement with Lily inverted convention: he managed the household whilst she earned. His affiliation with Der Blaue Reiter from **1911** placed him amongst the Expressionist vanguard, yet his style remained defiantly singular. The **1914** Tunisian trip crystallised years of patient experiment. His lectures would codify principles that Renaissance masters had pursued instinctively, bringing systematic rigour to modernism's chromatic adventures.
Key Milestones
1898: Began studying art in Munich academies
1906: Married pianist Lily Stumpf in Bavaria
1911: Became foundation member of Der Blaue Reiter
1914: Tunisian journey unlocked colour mastery breakthrough
Paul Klee (German:; 18 December 1879 – 29 June 1940) was a Swiss-born German artist. His highly individual style was influenced by movements in art that included expressionism, cubism, and surrealism.
