Khaberni - In a move that caused both controversy and astonishment, a Paris auction house set a notable record after selling an entirely monochrome blue painting by French artist Yves Klein, titled "California IKB 71" for 18.4 million euros, which is more than 21 million US dollars.
This painting is the largest monochrome work by the artist held in private ownership, measuring about 4 meters wide and nearly 2 meters tall. It was offered at public auction for the first time almost since its creation in 1961, at a time when Klein was dedicating his art to color as both a subject and an idea.
Yves Klein, who passed away in 1962 at just 34 years old, obtained a patent for the intense ultramarine blue he specifically created for his works, a unique blend of synthetic resin, dull colors, and dye, named "International Klein Blue – IKB."
In a press release, the auction house explained that the painting titled "California" (IKB 71), created by Klein in Paris in 1961 and displayed at public auction for the first time, is considered "one of the most prominent and important of the artist’s works ever to hit the market," without revealing the buyer’s identity. This monochrome painting, almost 2 meters tall and more than 4 meters wide, is one of his largest works using his special technique of mixing pure pigment with synthetic resin.
Klein had earlier stated that each of his monochrome works has a unique personality and completely different atmosphere, as reported by "Christie's".
Yves Klein completed the painting "California" at the beginning of 1961, just before his first and last trip to the United States to attend his opening exhibitions across the Atlantic in New York and Los Angeles, according to auction house reports.
The painting is distinguished by a unique touch added by the artist by applying small pebbles to its surface, giving it a distinct texture that, as the auction house described, "evokes the scene of an ocean floor at the edge of a deep blue abyss."
The size of this painting is exceptional, comparable only to the giant blue panels Klein created in 1958 for the Gelsenkirchen music theater in Germany, which ranged between 5 and 7 meters in size, as mentioned by Christie's.
Since its creation, this painting has moved between private art collections, and its last public appearance was part of an exhibition at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York between 2005 and 2008, where it was displayed as part of a long-term loan. Previously part of a private American collection, it is considered one of the most prominent works that contributed to cementing the French artist’s fame, who passed away in 1962 at an age not exceeding 34 years.
