Paul Klee’s illness—a series of historical and clinical vignettes, part II

Abstract

Viewing and analyzing fine art from a medical perspective increases our appreciation of the artist’s suffering and teaches an important lesson of the human aspects of medicine. Paul Klee (1879–1940), one of the most influential artists of the 20th century, died at the age of 60 from complications of systemic sclerosis (scleroderma). In this second, in a series of clinical vignettes, I discuss the musculoskeletal manifestations of systemic sclerosis and how they may have influenced the life and art of Paul Klee.