The Lamb, 1920

About the Work

Worked into a multicoloured structure of swelling and receding lines, Klee depicts a lamb with closed eyes. It bears a cross on its head and has a large drop of blood dripping from its cheek. Klee is clearly alluding to the Lamb of God (Agnus Dei), the symbol of Christ’s suffering and sacrificial death. The painting bears witness to the artist’s deep spirituality. He wanted to incorporate his mystical world view into his art – regardless of any particular religion. Thus, Klee did not aim to depict anything real, instead, he intended to make inner images visible.