Abstract layered and striped painting “Main and Side Roads” (1929) by Paul Klee, Geometric Abstraction

"Main and Side Roads" is one of Paul Klee's most famous paintings. It belongs to his group of numerous layered and striped paintings and was created in January 1929 after Klee's second trip to Egypt. In it, he processes his experiences of light and color there—the atmospheric key to understanding an ancient culture: the blue of the Nile, the yellow-orange of the Egyptian sun, and the color layers of the ornamental bands in the tombs of Aswan. The reproduction shown here, on two levels, impressively directs the viewer's gaze to the painting's central message. This modern method of reproduction on acrylic glass allows for high color brilliance and simultaneously unfolds an unprecedented presence in the room. Classics of art history are transformed here into modern spatial objects.