What themes appear in Paul Klee’s late angel drawings?

In his final years, Paul Klee produced a series of wry drawings of angels (1939–1940) that reflect the gravity of his declining health and the proximity of death. These late angel figures are characterized by a sense of being caught between worlds, as they remain half-attached to their former selves through lingering memories and desires.1

These works are part of a broader shift in Klee’s late style, which moved away from his earlier refinement toward bold, simple strokes and intense color, heavily influenced by the distortions found in the work of Pablo Picasso. While Klee’s earlier art often featured whimsical or droll imagery, his final period is marked by a somber tone, with these angel drawings serving as significant, poignant depictions of mortality.1