Abstract painting • Four circles

Paul Klee_LocksmithI 菠蘿選画所 This painting was created by Paul Klee in 1940, during the final year of his life. It is one of his most powerful and symbolic works. At the center, two black dots connected by a horizontal line resemble an abstract “lock cylinder” or “tool key.” The entire figure appears like a humanoid machine, arms raised, as if operating or creating something. In the final year of his life, Klee painted this “locksmith”— as if he were painting himself: a craftsman who unlocks the world through creation.