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.

Keywords: Paul Klee; arthritis; scleroderma; systemic sclerosis.