1910-1962 - Franz Kline, a key figure of abstract expressionism and well known for his black and white paintings, made a powerful contribution to the avant-garde movement. Born in Pennsylvania in 1910, Kline developed an interest in illustration during high school and continued his education as a draftsman at Boston University from 1931 to 1935. He continued his studies in London, returning to the United States in 1939. Kline moved to New York, where his career was made. His early mastery of drawing, including caricature, attuned him to the abstract essence of line. Working in oil, Kline’s style developed from figurative and representational works to emblematic and calligraphic compositions where forms became rapidly brushed marks. The ambiance of New York inspired Kline; his sketches, oils, and murals painted in 1940 for the Cedar Bar in Greenwich Village (a popular meeting place for the Abstract Expressionists) reveal his interest in seeking a pictorial equivalent to the dynamic rhythms of the city in fast, energetic, broad brushstrokes.