Yves Klein at Blenheim Palace, a solo exhibition by the visionary French artist

His pioneering artistic experiments anticipated and inspired movements in conceptual art, minimalism and performance art. Klein is best known for the development of his own vivid ultramarine pigment, International Klein Blue (IKB), which became a symbolic part of his practice, a key to reaching the ‘infinite’ and ‘sublime’ through pure colour.

With this in mind, the exhibition will feature a large-scale blue pigment installation and a number of Klein’s Monochrome Paintings, the dazzling colours transforming the aesthetic experience of the opulent baroque surroundings of the Great Hall and principal rooms. Paintings from his ground-breaking Anthropometry series will also be on display, for which Klein employed models as ‘living brushes’ to create marks on the canvas in front of an audience, as well as Fire Paintings and Klein’s later works in gold.

"Yves Klein’s ideas have been hugely influential on generations of artists and his radical thinking influenced minimal, conceptual and performance art by pushing the boundaries of what art could be," said Michael Frahm, Director, Blenheim Art Foundation. "This exhibition will celebrate the universal sensibility of Yves Klein’s language and I hope it will touch visitors of all ages with its timeless, enduring and spiritual effect."

Yves Klein at Blenheim Palace will run from 18 July until 7 October 2018.