Le Corbusier: The Order of Things at Zentrum Paul Klee
The exhibition "Le Corbusier: The Order of Things" celebrating the 20th anniversary of the Zentrum Paul Klee in Bern, Switzerland, offers an in-depth look at the creative process of Le Corbusier, an icon of modern architecture and Swiss-French art. Scheduled from February 8th to June 22nd, 2025, the exhibition explores Le Corbusier's significant contributions to architecture and highlights his deep immersion in various forms of artistic expression, including painting, sculpture, and graphic design, revealing the breadth and depth of his artistic talent.
LEFT: Le Corbusier (Charles-Edouard Jeanneret), Poème de l'angle droit (Portfolio, leave 55), 1955, Lithograph, 32 × 49 cm. Fondation Le Corbusier, Paris, © 2025, FLC/ProLitteris, Zurich; RIGHT: Le Corbusier (Charles-Edouard Jeanneret), Guitare verticale (1st version), around 1920, Oil on canvas, 104 × 84,5 × 7 cm, Fondation Le Corbusier, Paris, © 2025, FLC/ProLitteris, Zurich
Youth and Education
Born in 1887 in La Chaux-de-Fonds, a Swiss town known for its watchmaking industry, Charles-Edouard Jeanneret-Gris, who would later adopt the pseudonym Le Corbusier, grew up in an environment that valued precision and functionality, characteristics that would later permeate his work. His education at the École d'Art under Charles L'Eplattenier and the influences from his travels across Europe are essential for understanding his artistic and professional development.
LEFT: Le Corbusier (Charles-Edouard Jeanneret), Axonometric of the Maison Cook, 1926, Gouache on print, 91 × 86 cm. Fondation Le Corbusier, Paris, © 2025, FLC/ProLitteris, Zurich; RIGHT: Le Corbusier (Charles-Edouard Jeanneret), Notre-Dame-du-Haut, Ronchamp, n.d. Indian ink and coloured pencils on paper, 40 × 48 cm. Fondation Le Corbusier, Paris, © 2025, FLC/ProLitteris, Zurich
The Crucial Phases of His Career
The exhibition covers various phases of his career, from his early architectural projects in his hometown to his rise in the Parisian avant-garde, where he and Amédée Ozenfant founded the Purist movement.
The Purist movement emerged as a reaction to Cubism and sought to restore order and purity in art after the perceived excesses of the previous movement. The Purists emphasized simple and clear forms, precise geometry, and a limited color palette, evoking a sense of calm and order. The principles of Purism reflected the belief that art should be expressed through essential and universal elements, eliminating unnecessary details that could distract from the pure function and form.
This philosophy was in tune with Le Corbusier's modernist ideas about architecture and design, where he also applied principles of functionality and simplicity. The movement had a significant impact on modern art, influencing the development of industrial design and functionalist architecture, focusing on the utility of objects and the clarity of form.
LEFT: Le Corbusier (Charles-Edouard Jeanneret), Nature morte au siphon, 1928, Oil on canvas, 134 × 115 × 7 cm. Fondation Le Corbusier, Paris, © 2025, FLC/ProLitteris, Zurich; RIGHT: Le Corbusier (Charles-Édouard Jeanneret), 1930s, Photographer unknown, © 2025 FLC/ProLitteris, Zurich
Influences and Inspirations
In addition to exploring his well-known manifesto "Towards a New Architecture", which advocates for the aesthetics of the machine as a model for architecture, the exhibition at the Zentrum Paul Klee also illuminates his lesser-known inspirations. The influence of classical proportions, such as the golden ratio, and his travels to the Mediterranean and the Balkans, where he studied classical and Byzantine architecture, are displayed through sketches and personal notes.
LEFT: Le Corbusier (Charles-Edouard Jeanneret), Untitled (Forum in Pompeji), 1911, Watercolour and graphite pen on paper, mounted on Vergé paper, 45,3 × 45 cm. Fondation Le Corbusier, Paris, © 2025, FLC/ProLitteris, Zurich; RIGHT: Le Corbusier (Charles-Edouard Jeanneret), Untitled (Study on the series «Ozon 40»), 1940, Graphite pen, ink and gouache on paper, 27 × 21 cm, Fondation Le Corbusier, Paris, © 2025, FLC/ProLitteris, Zurich
Contributions and Legacy
Le Corbusier was not just an architect, but a theorist and a visionary whose ideas transcended physical construction to touch upon the social and cultural aspects of urbanization. Plans such as the Voisin Plan, which proposed the reconstruction of the center of Paris to reflect the new times, are testimonies to his futuristic vision. Despite the criticism and controversy that some of his proposals generated, his impact on modernism and urban theory is undeniable.
LEFT: Le Corbusier (Charles-Edouard Jeanneret), Ilot insalubre n°6, Paris, 1936, Indian ink on paper 75 × 108 cm, Fondation Le Corbusier, Paris, © 2025, FLC/ProLitteris, Zurich; RIGHT: Le Corbusier (Charles-Edouard Jeanneret), Unité d’Habitation Marseille, n. d. Wooden model, 111 × 101 × 48 cm, Fondation Le Corbusier, Paris, © 2025, FLC/ProLitteris, Zurich
Multidisciplinary Exhibition
The exhibition "The Order of Things" highlights Le Corbusier's working method, revealing how he manipulated forms, light, and space to create livable environments that were both functional and aesthetically pleasing. With the inclusion of his late artistic works and sculptures, the exhibition also celebrates his ability to cross boundaries between different artistic mediums, showing his fluency not only in architecture but also in painting and sculpture. This exhibition reaffirms Le Corbusier's status as a pillar of modern architecture and unveils the layers of his creative process, offering a deeper understanding of the man behind the myth. By contextualizing his work within his inspirations and his time, the Zentrum Paul Klee provides an immersive experience that celebrates both the order and the creative chaos that defined Le Corbusier's career.
 Le Corbusier (Charles-Edouard Jeanneret), Study for the Tapestry of the Courthouse in Chandigarh, 1961 Gouache on heliography, 49 × 122 cm, Fondation Le Corbusier, Paris, © 2025, FLC/ProLitteris, Zurich
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