Yves Klein

Painter

Birthday April 28, 1928

Birth Sign Taurus

Birthplace Nice, France

DEATH DATE Jun 6, 1962 (34)

#108761 Most Popular

About

French painter and performance art practitioner who helped to establish the Nouveau Realisme movement in art. He is considered a pioneer in the development of performance art, also well known for his contributions to minimal art and pop art. 

Before Fame

He created his early performance art masterpiece, "Monotone Symphony," in 1949, at the age of twenty-one.

Trivia

He was known for his monochromatic and photomontage pieces. His famous monochromatic exhibition "Blue Epoch" opened at Milan's Gallery Apollinaire in 1957 and featured a series of identical, blue canvases.

Family Life

He was born in Nice, France, to artist parents. He had a son named Yves Amu Klein who grew up to create robotic sculptures.

Associated With

He was a contemporary of fellow artist Willem de Kooning.