The artwork titled “Anthropometries of the Blue Period,” created by the artist Yves Klein in 1962, belongs to the Nouveau Réalisme art movement and falls under the figurative genre. This particular piece is part of the “Anthropométries” series, in which the artist explored innovative methods of creating art.
In “Anthropometries of the Blue Period,” the viewer is presented with a composition featuring a sequence of blue human forms imprinted on a light, almost ethereal background. The forms are created using a technique involving models coated in Yves Klein’s signature International Klein Blue (IKB) pigment, which they then pressed or dragged against a canvas. The imprints left behind are intriguing and abstracted representations of the human figure, capturing the movement and essence of the bodies in a primal, almost ghostly manner. The strategic use of blue conveys a sense of infinite space and depth, reinforcing Klein’s interest in the immaterial and the sublime. The artwork stands as a testament to Klein’s innovative approach to both materials and the human form, encapsulating the essence of Nouveau Réalisme’s embrace of reality transformed through art.