Franz Kline

American, 1910-1962. Franz Kline was a well-known Abstract Expressionist painter famous for his distinct monochromatic artworks. The painter was also known for his association with the Abstract Expressionist movement during the 1940s and 50s. Kline was born in Wilkes-Barre, a coal-mining town in Pennsylvania. In the 1930s, at the Boston University, Kline learned painting. He also learned illustration at Heatherley School of Fine Art in London. In 1938 the artist moved to New York and became friends with Willem de Kooning, an artist who introduced Kline to abstract art. The artist worked at a department store in New York as a designer. In 1939 he went to New York City and started working as a scenic designer. While working as a scenic designer, he developed his signature art techniques. He gained popularity as a prominent artist. Franz Kline’s artworks often employ brushstrokes in black color on white colors. His compositions were mainly calculative and different compared to painters of his era.

During the beginning of the 1950s, Kline became part of the informal New York School group with artists like Willem de Kooning, Jackson Pollock, Robert Motherwell, Lee Krasner, and John Ferren. Local poets, musicians, and dancers were also a part of this group. His mature artworks involve Mahoning and Nijinsky. These paintings are known for their thick layers of white and black paint. These paintings often involved the application of paints through energetic and aggressive lines. Franz Kline artwork at auction is often available at online auctions. It is also on display at places like the Art Institute of Chicago, The Museum of Modern Art, New York, the Tate Gallery, London, the Peggy Guggenheim Collection in Venice, and many others. Collectors can explore and find Franz Kline artwork for sale at auction from leading art galleries.