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mmcarthur.bsky.social phoenixrising @mmcarthur.bsky.social · Aug 21
Paul Klee (1879-1940) :
Monument in Progress, 1929

Watercolor and pen on plaster-printed paper mounted on cardboard
22-1/8 x 15-1/4 inches

Serves as a satirical, anti-fascist critique of Italian dictator Benito Mussolini.

Degenerate Art

Further description & info in the alt text 👇
Geometric abstraction featuring horizontal and vertical balancing structures. The piece was featured at The Jewish Museum in New York City as part of the prominent retrospective exhibition titled 'Paul Klee: Other Possible Worlds.' Created during Klee's tenure at the Bauhaus, the artwork highlights his shifting focus toward direct political commentary. The piece mocks Italian Fascism by turning its obsession with grandiose, classical Roman monuments on its head The Illusion of Power: By depicting the structure as perpetually unfinished or "in progress," Klee playfully dismantles the regime's demands for eternal, heroic perfection. The "Degenerate" Context: Although Klee was not Jewish, his sharp, avant-garde social critiques led the rising Nazi regime to brand his creations as "degenerate art," resulting in his dismissal from his German teaching position and eventual exile back to Switzerland.
August 21, 2026 at 4:08 PM