Mast= und Zier-Fische Fattened= and Ornamental Fishes

The young Klee visited the Aquarium of Naples in 1902 and, deeply impressed by the expressiveness of the appearance of aquatic species, noted his impressions in the diary of those days (Paul Klee Diaries No. 390). The expressions, the mimicry, the poses, but also the reciprocal relationships, became interesting objects of observation for Klee because, as he wrote in the journal, they were comparable to human ones. Throughout his life, Klee created images of fish, probably with the intention of expressing his admiration for these creatures that live underwater, freed from the oppression of gravity and freer than those that inhabit the mainland.