Franz Kline

Franz Kline, a major figure in Abstract Expressionism during the 1950s, is remembered primarily for his large and innovative black-and-white paintings. Born in Pennsylvania in 1910, Kline had a penchant for graphic composition that can be traced to an early interest in illustration in high school and a further education as a draftsman at Boston University from 1931 to 1935. Kline later moved to New York City where, during the 1940s, his early mastery of drawing would lead to a strong affinity for the abstract qualities of line. Working in oil and under the direct influence of the abstract painting gestures of his fellow artist and friend Willem de Kooning (1904–1997), Kline shifted his style from representational works to abstractions with bold brushstrokes. Although his brush marks have drawn comparisons to traditions in East Asian calligraphy, Kline denied this connection and claimed he drew his inspiration from the high speed and energy of New York. Kline died a premature death due to a rheumatic heart condition in 1962, but within a short period of time had established himself as an influential painter who played a defining role in the American art movement of Abstract Expressionism.