Franz Kline Biography and Artwork

Franz Kline was an American painter born on May 23, 1910, in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania. He studied art at Boston University and the Heatherley School of Art in London. Kline is associated with the Abstract Expressionist movement of the 1940s and 1950s and was a leading painter known for his distinctive monochromatic paintings.

Kline’s early career focused on views of New York, and he was influenced by Jackson Pollock. Kline’s art employed black brushstrokes on white canvases performing as an “action painter.” His large canvases featured abstract designs utilizing black and white color palettes to create distinctive pieces.

Kline passed away on May 13, 1962, in New York City. He had been a significant influence on Cy Twombly; it seems that he primarily wanted viewers to look directly at his work without preconceptions or distractions from narrative subject matter.

In conclusion, Franz Kline was known for his unique approach to Abstract Expressionism using monochromatic black brushstrokes on white canvases resulting in large-scale abstract designs. Kline has influenced generations of artists who followed him through both his artistic style and embrace of free experimentation. Despite only living until the age of fifty-one years old, Franz Kline cemented himself as one of America’s most important painters between the World War II era through to its aftermath.

All Franz Kline Artwork on Artchive

Artwork Name Year Medium
Delaware Gap
Figure Eight - 1952; United States
Four Square 1956; United States collage,oil,canvas
Herald 1954; United States
Horizontal Rust 1960; United States oil,canvas
Hot Jazz 1940; United States
Picture 046
Opustena
Scudera 1961; United States oil,canvas
Suspended 1953; United States
Torches Mauve 1960; United States
Untitled 1961; United States
Untitled 1955; United States
UNTITLED 1956; United States
Untitled 1957; United States
Untitled 1957; United States
Untitled II c.1952; United States
Zinc Yellow 1959; United States
Accent Grave 1955; United States
Black and White.png
Blueberry Eyes 1960; United States
Buttress 1956; United States
Palladio 1961; United States
Painting No. 7 1952; United States
Orange Outline 1955; United States
Number 2
Mycenae 1958; United States
Meryon 1961; United States oil,canvas
Mahoning 1956; United States collage,oil,canvas
Le Gros
Chief 1950; United States oil,canvas
Chatham Square 1948; United States
Cardinal 1950; United States
C and O 1958; United States
Untitled c.1960 Oil on Canvas
Painting Number 2 1954 Oil on Canvas
New York, N.Y. 1953 Oil on Canvas
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