Klein patented a colour. International Klein Blue, or IKB, is an ultramarine pigment suspended in a synthetic resin that keeps the colour saturated and matte. He registered it in 1960. The blue is so intense it appears to absorb light. He covered canvases, sponges, plaster casts, and globe sculptures in it. He covered naked women in it and pressed them against canvas (he called them 'Anthropometries' and performed the process in front of an audience while a chamber orchestra played his Monotone-Silence Symphony: twenty minutes of a single sustained chord followed by twenty minutes of silence).
Key facts
- Lived
- 1928–1962, French
- Movement
- Works held in
- 23 museums[1]
Biography
He was born in Nice to artist parents and grew up between France, England, and Spain. He studied judo seriously, earning a fourth-degree black belt in Tokyo, and considered martial arts and art as related disciplines: both requiring control, precision, and the projection of force.
He exhibited an empty gallery in 1958 and called it Le Vide (The Void). Over three thousand people attended the opening. The gallery walls were painted white. There was nothing else. He served blue cocktails at the door. He sold invisible paintings (Zones of Immaterial Pictorial Sensibility) for gold, then threw half the gold into the Seine and burned the receipt.
He died of a heart attack in 1962, at thirty-four. His career lasted roughly eight years. In that time he made the monochromes, the Anthropometries, the fire paintings, the sponge sculptures, the void exhibitions, and enough theoretical writing to fill several volumes. He remains one of the most influential artists of the post-war period, which he would have considered insufficient recognition.
Timeline
- 1928Born in Nice to two painters: Fred Klein, a post-impressionist, and Marie Raymond, a leading figure in Art Informel.
- 1952At 24, travelled to Tokyo and earned a fourth-degree black belt in judo at the Kodokan Institute, the art's spiritual home.
- 1957At 28, emptied the Galerie Iris Clert in Paris, repainted its white walls, and exhibited the vacant room as a work of art titled The Void.
- 1958At 29, staged his first Anthropometry performance in Paris, choreographing nude models to press their paint-covered bodies onto canvas.
- 1960At 31, co-founded the Nouveau Realisme movement in Paris alongside critic Pierre Restany and his friend Arman. That same year he patented International Klein Blue (IKB).
- 1962Died of a heart attack aged 34 in Paris, just months after marrying the artist Rotraut Uecker.
Notable Works
Tap to view larger.
Related Artists
.jpg)
_%E2%80%93_LOC.jpg)
Frequently Asked Questions
Did yves klein invent blue?
In 1946, Yves Klein symbolically divided the world with his friends, choosing the sky and its colour blue for himself. From then on, blue held central importance in his work, although he later used other colours.How did yves klein create blue?
Yves Klein created his blue, International Klein Blue, by mixing blue pigment with a synthetic resin. The resin maintains the colour's brilliance.Is yves klein blue a color?
Yes, blue was of central significance in Yves Klein's work. He even patented his own version called International Klein Blue.Is yves klein blue copyrighted?
International Klein Blue (IKB) is a paint that Yves Klein mixed personally and then patented. Its brilliant colour is maintained by the addition of synthetic resin to the blue pigment.What is yves klein known for?
Yves Klein is known for International Klein Blue (IKB), a paint he mixed and patented. He was also a leader of the European Neo-Dada movement, and his work was intended to shock.When did yves klein die?
Yves Klein died in 1962 at the age of 34.Where can i see yves klein paintings?
Yves Klein's works can be seen at Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía[6], Museum Ludwig, Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, and 2 other museums worldwide.Why did yves klein use blue?
In 1946, Yves Klein symbolically divided the world with his friends, choosing the sky and its colour blue for himself. From then on, blue was of central significance in his work.What is yves klein blue?
International Klein Blue is a paint that Yves Klein mixed personally and then patented. IKB's brilliant colour is maintained by the addition of synthetic resin to the blue pigment.Why did yves klein die so young?
Yves Klein died in 1962 at the age of 34.Why is yves klein blue special?
International Klein Blue's special quality comes from the synthetic resin Yves Klein added to the blue pigment. This maintains the colour's brilliance.
Sources
Editorial draws on the following primary and tertiary references for Yves Klein.
- [1] museum Institut Valencià d'Art Modern Used for: museum holdings.
- [2] museum Städel Museum Used for: museum holdings.
- [3] museum Tate Modern Used for: museum holdings.
- [4] museum Kunstsammlung Nordrhein-Westfalen Used for: museum holdings.
- [5] museum National Gallery of Art Used for: museum holdings.
- [6] museum Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía Used for: museum holdings.
- [7] book Beard, Lee, 1973- author, Butler, Adam, author; Van Cleave, Claire, author; Fortenberry, Diane, author; Stirling, Susan, author, Beard, Lee, 1973- author, Butler, Adam, author; Van Cleave, Claire, author; Fortenberry, Diane, author; Stirling, Susan, author - The Art Book_ New Edition, Mini Format Used for: biography, stylistic analysis.
- [8] book guggenheim-guhe00solo Used for: biography.
- [9] book guggenheim-invested00blis Used for: biography.
- [10] book guggenheim-museum00solo Used for: biography, stylistic analysis.
- [11] book Masterpieces of western art : a history of art in 900 individual studies from the Gothic to the present day Used for: biography, stylistic analysis.
Editorial overseen by Solis Prints. Sources verified 2026-05-31. Click a source for details, or hover over [N] in the page above to preview.
Editorial standardsMethodologyCorrectionsAI disclosureAbout the editorial teamCitation ledger