Klee’s first one-man show in England took place at the Mayor Gallery in 1934. The Tate Gallery’s exhibition, held at the National Gallery in 1945, which comprised 137 paintings, drawings and etchings, is to date the largest and most representative collection to have been seen in London.
The present exhibition consists of works by Klee belonging to Mrs. Edward Hulton. Although other artists are represented in Mrs. Hulton’s collection, she has a special preference for Klee and has been acquiring his works for some five years.
While it would be misleading to claim that the works being shown here fully represent so prodigiously inventive an artist (for instance, there are none of the early etchings) they illustrate most phases of his development from 1913 onwards.