Blenheim Palace to host Yves Klein art exhibition

A new exhibition celebrating the works of one of the 20th century's most influential artists will open at Blenheim Palace in Oxfordshire on 18th July.

Running until 7th October, Yves Klein at Blenheim Palace will be a comprehensive exhibition of the visionary French artist, to be staged in what would have been his 90th year.

Celebrate the colour blue

Yves Klein (1928–1962) was a leading figure in European post war art and is considered a pioneer of conceptual art, performance art and minimalism, as well as pop art.

The artist was reportedly obsessed with just one colour: blue. He worked with a chemist to develop his own brand of paint, which he called International Klein Blue or IKB.

The paint had a particularly bright and intense colour, which visitors will be able to discover for themselves at the UNESCO World Heritage Site in Oxfordshire.

The new exhibition will feature over 50 artworks including a large-scale blue pigment installation and a number of Klein's Monochrome Paintings which will be shown against the opulent backdrop of the palace state rooms and great hall.

Visitors will be able to explore Klein's wide-ranging practice, including painting, sculpture and large- scale installation. He applied the paint to his pictures using rollers, sponges, and even people.

Visitors will see the results of these artistic experiments in his Anthropometry series, for which Klein employed models as 'living brushes' to create marks on the canvas in front of an audience.

Group visits to Blenheim

Blenheim Palace is the home of the 12th Duke and Duchess of Marlborough and the birthplace of Sir Winston Churchill.

Groups visiting the palace can enter the Yves Klein exhibition for free, and take advantage of discounted group rates for general entry to the UNESCO World Heritage Site.

For more information visit blenheimpalace.com