Fred Klein (8 April 1898 – 25 April 1990) was a Dutch painter who spent much of his life in France. Born Friedrich Franz Albert Klein in

Bandung Bandung ( su, ᮘᮔ᮪ᮓᮥᮀ, Bandung, ; ) is the capital city of the Indonesian province of West Java. It has a population of 2,452,943 within its city limits according to the official estimates as at mid 2021, making it the fourth most ...

Indonesia Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania between the Indian and Pacific oceans. It consists of over 17,000 islands, including Sumatra, Java, Sulawesi, and parts of Borneo and New Guine ...

, he was known in the

Netherlands ) , anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau") , image_map = , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Kingdom of the Netherlands , established_title = Before independence , established_date = Spanish Netherl ...

under the name of Frits Klein and in

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...

as Fred Klein. He lived and worked in France beginning in 1920. His style was somewhat akin to

Impressionism Impressionism was a 19th-century art movement characterized by relatively small, thin, yet visible brush strokes, open Composition (visual arts), composition, emphasis on accurate depiction of light in its changing qualities (often accentuating ...

. A figurative painter of landscapes, he had exhibitions starting in 1930. He is known for his frequent depiction of horses and dreamy beach scenes. Dutch critics admired his work as did French ones, who often compared him to

Odilon Redon Odilon Redon (born Bertrand Redon; ; 20 April 18406 July 1916) was a French Symbolism (arts), symbolist painter, printmaker, Drawing, draughtsman and pastellist. Early in his career, both before and after fighting in the Franco-Prussian War, he ...

. "

lein Lein may refer to: People with that name *Allen Lein (1913–2003), American endocrinologist and medical school professor *Anatoly Lein (1931–2018), Soviet-born American chess Grandmaster * Lars O. Lein (1874–1958), American farmer and politici ...

starts from a dream of colors from which the motif gradually takes shape. Notwithstanding he still reverts to reality with this, albeit a dreamed up reality," one review concluded. Klein's work was included in the 1939 exhibition and sale ''

Onze Kunst van Heden Onze Kunst van Heden (Contemporary Artists/Our Art of Today) was an exhibition held in the winter of 1939 through 1940 at the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam. Due to the threat of invasion in the years leading up to World War II, the Netherlands' go ...

'' (Our Art of Today) at the

Rijksmuseum The Rijksmuseum () is the national museum of the Netherlands dedicated to Dutch arts and history and is located in Amsterdam. The museum is located at the Museum Square in the borough of Amsterdam South, close to the Van Gogh Museum, the St ...

in Amsterdam. On his 80th birthday, the

Van Gogh Museum The Van Gogh Museum () is a Dutch art museum dedicated to the works of Vincent van Gogh and his contemporaries in the Museum Square in Amsterdam South, close to the Stedelijk Museum, the Rijksmuseum, and the Concertgebouw. The museum opened on ...

Amsterdam Amsterdam ( , , , lit. ''The Dam on the River Amstel'') is the Capital of the Netherlands, capital and Municipalities of the Netherlands, most populous city of the Netherlands, with The Hague being the seat of government. It has a population ...

held a retrospective of his work. In recent years, there has been renewed interest in his paintings, leading to a spike in prices.Recent auctions at Christie's
/ref> Klein and his first wife, painter

Marie Raymond Marie Raymond (1908–1988) was an abstract painter from the Tachisme movement in the 50s. Raymond was one of the most successful painters of the post-war abstract movement in Paris. Raymond's success story remains unknown as she was eclipsed ...

, were the parents of celebrated painter

Yves Klein Yves Klein (; 28 April 1928 – 6 June 1962) was a French artist and an important figure in post-war European art. He was a leading member of the French artistic movement of Nouveau réalisme founded in 1960 by art critic Pierre Restany. Klein w ...

. His second wife was the painter

Ursula Bardsley Ursula may refer to: * Ursula (name), feminine name and a list of people and fictional characters with the name * ''Ursula'' (album), an album by American jazz pianist Mal Waldron *Ursula (crater), a crater on Titania, a moon of Uranus *Ursula (det ...

References

* *"Almost Forgotten," article in Tableau Fine Arts magazine by Willemijn Gertsen *file:///G:/IMPRIMIR/Fuentes/Trabajo%20Yves%20Klein/4.%20Marie__Raymond____Yves__Klein.__Herencias_(3647).pdf *Based on a translation of the entry for

Fred Klein Fred Klein (8 April 1898 – 25 April 1990) was a Dutch painter who spent much of his life in France. Born Friedrich Franz Albert Klein in Bandung, Indonesia, he was known in the Netherlands under the name of Frits Klein and in France as Fred ...

in the French Wikipedia

External links

Site devoted to Fred Klein
(with text available in English, French and Dutch)
Biography of Klein on Dutch gallery websiteArticle in Dutch and English on Klein, the "almost forgotten" artist 2001 auction of Klein "Horses" painting
* ndex-https://harn.dse.nl/fritsklein/index.htm/ Dutch site devoted to Fred Klein 1898 births 1990 deaths People from Bandung Dutch painters Dutch male painters 20th-century French painters 20th-century French male artists French male painters Yves Klein {{Netherlands-painter-stub