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Franz Kline is the brightest representative of abstract expressionism, who became famous during his lifetime and left the world his unique paintings, which even today go under the hammer for millions of dollars. Franz Kline was born in the diamond town of Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, May 23, 1910 in a family of immigrants from Germany and England. He began his study of painting with the Philadelphia School, focusing on the work of Dutch painter Harmens van Rijn Rembrandt and French painter Edouard Manet. Therefore, the early Kline is mostly figurative painting: landscapes, portraits. The painting “Hot Jazz” (Hot Jazz, 1940), painted for one of the New York bars, became a starting point for the master. The playfulness and gracefulness of the soloist lures the audience to “walk into the bar” and immerse themselves in African rhythms, folklore and European harmony. Franz Kline was a sociable and charming man, but the influence of the representatives of Abstract Expressionism, the creation of the Art School in New York and especially his friendship with Willem de Kooning, a leader of Abstract Expressionism and an architect, greatly influenced his work. From the 1940s onward, Kline’s work became increasingly abstract. Many people think that his crisp, broad strokes of black paint floating on a white background are directly related to the works of Chinese calligraphy. But that is not true, because he drew inspiration from simple images. The large black brushstrokes on a white background contrast with a world that is oversaturated with standard paintings. After an exhibition in the United States, success at the São Paulo Biennale and Venice, Kline came to prominence. It was then that the artist began to add bright colors to his three-color palette, sensing a desire to smooth out the sharp contrasts that had until then dominated his art. For a long time Franz Kline’s work was not understood by the critics, who reproached him for his lack of taste, rhythm and harmony. Today, the main buyers of paintings of the famous abstract expressionist are the Americans. At auctions in New York the prices for his works range from one or two to 30-40 million dollars!
