Skip to main content

William Klein Art

American, 1926-2022

American photographer William Klein continually channeled the zeitgeist through his oeuvre, imbuing his photography with startling honesty and empathy, as well as his own particular brand of abstraction. The portraits, scenes and scenarios resemble windows into a world where reality has begun to warp, sometimes dreamily, other times more emphatically, so that snapshot moments are strangely portentous or full of possibility.

Klein was best known for his early fashion shots and arresting street photography, capturing, with candor and humanity, life in cities around the world, including Rome, Moscow, Tokyo and Paris. His gritty and grainy images of 1950s New York are widely considered his most powerful, documenting the underbelly of a growing metropolis, with his focus set on the energy and multidimensional nature of postwar culture. In his 1955 image Selwyn Theatre, 42nd Street, New York, for example, Klein contrasted the gleaming silhouette of a car with the faded-out forms of a group of young men about town, creating strong graphic patterns that suggest a sense of abandon and opportunity.

Klein’s aesthetic, however, is not easy to summarize, since he demonstrated an eager embrace of experimentation through the decades. Early street shots are often out of focus and taken at unexpected angles, while his 1960s fashion shots and celebrity portraits for Vogue’s American, French and British editions are sleek and subtly Surrealist, pioneering a new style that put the spotlight on the beauty of the composition rather than the allure of the clothes, as seen in Smoke and Veil (1956) and his 1961 portrait of Anouk Aimée for Paris Vogue.

In addition to photography, Klein explored painting, filmmaking, graphic design and publishing, adopting a polymathic attitude to the arts. Klein began his career as a painter under the tutelage of French abstractionist Fernand Léger, having moved to Paris in 1948. The experience opened his mind to the possibilities of manipulated form, specifically the illusionary effects achieved through the playful arrangement of light and shadow.

A commission from 1952 was instrumental in his side step into photography. Having created a painted room divider for an architect, Klein took photographs of the rotating piece. His delight in the fragmented shapes created by the movement prompted him to make thousands of abstract photograms by applying shifting geometrical forms on photographic paper during long exposures.

Indeed, the unorthodox mixture of disorder and imperfection, along with beauty and energy, remained a constant in his work, as evidenced by such unconventionally arresting images as Candy Store, Amsterdam Avenue, New York (1955), Independence Day Parade, Dakar (1963) and Black Venus West Indian Day Parade, Brooklyn, New York (2013). Among Klein’s most famous celluloid achievements is his 1964 documentary Cassius the Great, dedicated to a young Muhammad Ali in the run up to his fight with Sonny Liston.

In fact, many of Klein’s photographs and films have a strong sociopolitical dimension, although they were not intended as acts of propaganda. Instead, they raised awareness about conditions of flux, antagonism, hope and change, especially among African American and minority communities as they navigated times of change. This is exemplified by vibrant shots like Easter Sunday, Harlem High Hat, New York and Moves and Pepsi, Harlem, both featured in the self-designed and self-published seminal tome New York: 1954.55.

Find authentic William Klein photography on 1stDibs.

to
2
5
3
1
Overall Width
to
Overall Height
to
11
4
5
4
9
2
11
9
6
6
5
4
3
3
2
2
2
2
2
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
10
1
12
8,228
2,805
1,654
1,315
1
10
1
Artist: William Klein
Dwarf and Liquors, Little Italy, NYC, black + white photograph by William Klein
By William Klein
Located in New York, NY
Dwarf and Liquors, Little Italy, NYC, black + white photograph by William Klein Dwarf and Liquors, Little Italy, NYC 1955/printed later Gelatin silver print 16 x 20 inches (40.6 ...
Category

1950s William Klein Art

Materials

Silver Gelatin

Smoke + Veil, Paris, VOGUE, 1958
By William Klein
Located in New York, NY
Signed by the photographer on the verso
Category

1950s William Klein Art

Materials

Silver Gelatin

Painting + Coffee: Simone D'Aillencourt, Fabiani
By William Klein
Located in New York, NY
Signed by the artist
Category

1960s Modern William Klein Art

Materials

Silver Gelatin

Nina + Simone, Piazza di Spagna, Rome, 1960 - William Klein
By William Klein
Located in London, GB
Nina + Simone, Piazza di Spagna, Rome, 1960 Signed and numbered Platinum-palladium print, printed later 33 x 28 inches From an edition of 20 William ...
Category

Late 20th Century William Klein Art

Materials

Platinum

Smoke and Veil, Paris (Vogue)
By William Klein
Located in New York, NY
Gelatin silver print Signed, titled, and dated in pencil, verso This artwork is offered by ClampArt, located in New York City.
Category

1950s Other Art Style William Klein Art

Materials

Silver Gelatin

Dorothy and Beach Ball and Dwarf Scout, Paris
By William Klein
Located in New York, NY
Gelatin silver print Signed, titled, and dated in pencil, verso This artwork is offered by ClampArt, located in New York City.
Category

1960s Other Art Style William Klein Art

Materials

Silver Gelatin

Anouk Aimée, Paris (Vogue)
By William Klein
Located in New York, NY
Signed by the photographer.
Category

1960s William Klein Art

Materials

Silver Gelatin

Dorothy + Feathered Hat, Rome
By William Klein
Located in New York, NY
Dorothy + Feathered Hat, Rome, 1962 gelatin silver print 30 x 40" ed. of 30
Category

1960s Modern William Klein Art

Materials

Silver Gelatin

Anouk Aimee, Paris
By William Klein
Located in New York, NY
William Klein Anouk Aimee, Paris, 1961 silver gelatin print 32 x 40" ed. of 30 38 x 48" ed. of 30
Category

1960s Modern William Klein Art

Materials

Silver Gelatin

Barbara, Paris
By William Klein
Located in New York, NY
William Klein Barbara, Paris, 1956 gelatin silver print 30 x 40" ed. of 30
Category

1950s Modern William Klein Art

Materials

Silver Gelatin

Hat and 5 Roses, Paris Vogue
By William Klein
Located in Santa Monica, CA
signed by artist
Category

20th Century William Klein Art

Materials

Silver Gelatin

Related Items
Abstract Black and White Luminogram Print of Central Park in New York City
Located in London, GB
Central Park is part of a group of prints based on a visit to New York City, Because I live and work in quiet isolation and often don't meet anyone apa...
Category

2010s Abstract Geometric William Klein Art

Materials

Photogram, Silver Gelatin, Archival Paper, Black and White, Photographic...

Erich Andres, Vintage, Miners, Germany, 1950, 17, 5 x 12, 5 cm
By Erich Andres
Located in Cologne, DE
Silver Gelatine Print by Erich Andres, 1950 This black-and-white photograph from 1950 shows three young men working in what appears to be a mine. The boys are gathered around a larg...
Category

1950s Modern William Klein Art

Materials

Silver Gelatin

DOUGLAS JULEFF Vintage 1940s "Beefcake" Photograph MIKE CARVER Mr. Michigan 1948
Located in Glenford, NY
Rare 1940s Original Vintage Gelatin Silver Photograph by DOUGLAS JULEFF - also known as DOUG OF DETROIT - of MIKE CARVER, Mr. Michigan 1948. Photograph is 8 x 10 inches. Douglas Ju...
Category

1940s Post-War William Klein Art

Materials

Silver Gelatin

Spectral (Kings Road) - unique solarized gelatin silver artist print
By Mona Kuhn
Located in San Francisco, CA
In Kings Road (2022) Mona Kuhn lyrically reconsiders the realms of time and space within the midcentury architectural elements of the iconic Schindler House in Los Angeles. Built by Austrian architect Rudolph M. Schindler in 1922, the house was both a social and design experiment and an avant-garde hub for intellectuals and artists in the 1920s and ’30s. The body of works incorporates chromogenic color prints, reflecting vignettes and materials of the building's emotional architecture, juxtaposition with unique solarized gelatin silver prints capturing traces of an ethereal human presence. Spectral (2022) Kings Road: A Rudolph Schindler House 30" x 40" / 76cm x 102cm /edition of 12 15" x 20" / 38cm x 56cm / edition of 12 limited edition solarization photograph printed by the artist + accompanied by signed artist certificate: artist signature label (8x10") signed/editioned/dated/titled by the artist + stamped for authenticity label is placed centered on verso of the mounted print __________________ About the artist Acclaimed for her contemporary depictions, Kuhn is considered a leading artist in the world of figurative discourse. Throughout a career spanning more than twenty years, the underlying theme of her work is her reflection on humanity’s longing for spiritual connection and solidarity. As she solidified her photographic style, Kuhn created a notable approach to the nude by developing friendships with her subjects, and employing a range of playful visual strategies that use natural light and minimalist settings to evoke a sublime sense of comfort between the human figure and its environment. Her work is natural, restful, and a reinterpretation of the nude in the canon of contemporary art. For the past two decades, the Los-Angeles based artist's works have been shown steadily, revealing an astonishing consistency in technique, of subject and of purpose. In 2001, Kuhn’s photographs were first seen by an influential audience during the exhibition at Charles Cowles Gallery in Chelsea, New York. Kuhn’s distinct aesthetic has propelled her as one of the most collectible contemporary art photographers—her work is in private and public collections worldwide and she is represented by galleries across the United States, Europe and Asia. Kuhn was born in São Paulo, Brazil, in 1969, of German descent. In 1989, Kuhn moved to the US and earned her BA from The Ohio State University, before furthering her studies at the San Francisco Art Institute. She is currently an independent scholar at The Getty Research Institute in Los Angeles. Occasionally, Mona teaches at UCLA and the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena. Kuhn’s first monograph, Photographs, was debuted by Steidl in 2004; followed by Evidence (2007), Native (2010), Bordeaux Series (2011), Private (2014), and She Disappeared into Complete Silence (2018/19). In addition, Stanley/Barker Editions published Kuhn's Bushes & Succulents in 2018. In 2021, Thames & Hudson published a career retrospective titled Works. Kuhn's most recent publication Kings Road (2022) with Steidl accompanies a multi-dimensional museum traveling exhibition shown in Europe and the US. Mona Kuhn’s work is in private and public collections worldwide, including The J. Paul Getty Museum, Los Angeles County Museum of Art, The Hammer Museum, Perez Art Museum Miami, Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, and the Kiyosato Museum in Japan. Kuhn's work has been exhibited at The Louvre Museum and Le Bal in Paris; The Whitechapel Gallery and Royal Academy of Arts in London; Musée de l’Elysée in Switzerland; Leopold Museum in Vienna Austria, The Polygon Gallery in Vancouver Canada, Taipei Fine Arts Museum in Taiwan and Australian Centre for Photography. Mona Kuhn lives and works in Los Angeles. __________________ Solo Exhibitions 2025 Mona Kuhn: Y Tu Desnudo será Un Gran Poema, Museum of Contemporary Art, Malaga, Spain Mona Kuhn: Kings Road, Lianzhou Museum of Photography, China 2024 Mona Kuhn: The Schindler House, A Love Affair, Galerie XII...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary William Klein Art

Materials

Photographic Film, Photographic Paper, Silver Gelatin

Ephemeral #1, Sand Dunes landscape, Silver Gelatin Print, Custom framed
Located in London, GB
"The dunes change with the wind, but the desert remains the same." - Paulo Coelho - The Alchemist Print info: Ephemeral #1, Sand Dunes, Morocco, 2006 #landscape, Silver Gelatin Pri...
Category

2010s Abstract Geometric William Klein Art

Materials

Photographic Film, Archival Paper, Photographic Paper, Black and White, ...

Brigitte Bardot b/w silver gelatin photograph on paper
By Terry O'Neill
Located in Norwich, GB
Terry O’Neill CBE is one of the world’s most collected photographers, with work hanging in national art galleries and private collections worldwide. From presidents to pop stars, he ...
Category

Late 20th Century Contemporary William Klein Art

Materials

Photographic Paper, Silver Gelatin

DOUGLAS JULEFF Vintage 1950s Photograph of "Beefcake" model Dick Lee
Located in Glenford, NY
Rare early 1950s Original Vintage Gelatin Silver Photograph by DOUGLAS JULEFF - also known as DOUG OF DETROIT - of model DICK LEE. Photograph is 8 x 10 inches and is an excellent exa...
Category

1950s Post-War William Klein Art

Materials

Silver Gelatin

Grace (Kings Road) - unique solarized gelatin silver artist print
By Mona Kuhn
Located in San Francisco, CA
In Kings Road (2022) Mona Kuhn lyrically reconsiders the realms of time and space within the midcentury architectural elements of the iconic Schindler House in Los Angeles. Built by Austrian architect Rudolph M. Schindler in 1922, the house was both a social and design experiment and an avant-garde hub for intellectuals and artists in the 1920s and ’30s. The body of works incorporates chromogenic color prints, reflecting vignettes and materials of the building's emotional architecture, juxtaposition with unique solarized gelatin silver prints capturing traces of an ethereal human presence. Grace (2022) Kings Road: A Rudolph Schindler House 30" x 40" / 76cm x 102cm /edition of 12 15" x 20" / 38cm x 56cm / edition of 12 limited edition solarization photograph printed by the artist + accompanied by signed artist certificate: artist signature label (8x10") signed/editioned/dated/titled by the artist + stamped for authenticity label is placed centered on verso of the mounted print __________________ About the artist Acclaimed for her contemporary depictions, Kuhn is considered a leading artist in the world of figurative discourse. Throughout a career spanning more than twenty years, the underlying theme of her work is her reflection on humanity’s longing for spiritual connection and solidarity. As she solidified her photographic style, Kuhn created a notable approach to the nude by developing friendships with her subjects, and employing a range of playful visual strategies that use natural light and minimalist settings to evoke a sublime sense of comfort between the human figure and its environment. Her work is natural, restful, and a reinterpretation of the nude in the canon of contemporary art. For the past two decades, the Los-Angeles based artist's works have been shown steadily, revealing an astonishing consistency in technique, of subject and of purpose. In 2001, Kuhn’s photographs were first seen by an influential audience during the exhibition at Charles Cowles Gallery in Chelsea, New York. Kuhn’s distinct aesthetic has propelled her as one of the most collectible contemporary art photographers—her work is in private and public collections worldwide and she is represented by galleries across the United States, Europe and Asia. Kuhn was born in São Paulo, Brazil, in 1969, of German descent. In 1989, Kuhn moved to the US and earned her BA from The Ohio State University, before furthering her studies at the San Francisco Art Institute. She is currently an independent scholar at The Getty Research Institute in Los Angeles. Occasionally, Mona teaches at UCLA and the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena. Kuhn’s first monograph, Photographs, was debuted by Steidl in 2004; followed by Evidence (2007), Native (2010), Bordeaux Series (2011), Private (2014), and She Disappeared into Complete Silence (2018/19). In addition, Stanley/Barker Editions published Kuhn's Bushes & Succulents in 2018. In 2021, Thames & Hudson published a career retrospective titled Works. Kuhn's most recent publication Kings Road (2022) with Steidl accompanies a multi-dimensional museum traveling exhibition shown in Europe and the US. Mona Kuhn’s work is in private and public collections worldwide, including The J. Paul Getty Museum, Los Angeles County Museum of Art, The Hammer Museum, Perez Art Museum Miami, Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, and the Kiyosato Museum in Japan. Kuhn's work has been exhibited at The Louvre Museum and Le Bal in Paris; The Whitechapel Gallery and Royal Academy of Arts in London; Musée de l’Elysée in Switzerland; Leopold Museum in Vienna Austria, The Polygon Gallery in Vancouver Canada, Taipei Fine Arts Museum in Taiwan and Australian Centre for Photography. Mona Kuhn lives and works in Los Angeles. __________________ Solo Exhibitions 2025 Mona Kuhn: Y Tu Desnudo será Un Gran Poema, Museum of Contemporary Art, Malaga, Spain Mona Kuhn: Kings Road, Lianzhou Museum of Photography, China 2024 Mona Kuhn: The Schindler House, A Love Affair, Galerie XII...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary William Klein Art

Materials

Photographic Film, Photographic Paper, Silver Gelatin

Actress Gina Bellman (Limited Edition of 25) - 30x40 In - Celebrity Photography
Located in New York, NY
This iconic 1989 photograph features actress Gina Bellman posing on top of a column, accompanied by two monkeys. It was shot by celebrity and fashion phot...
Category

1980s Young British Artists (YBA) William Klein Art

Materials

Silver Gelatin

Marilyn Monroe, 4 Days in New York, 1955
By Edward Feingersh
Located in Cologne, DE
Ed Feingersh photographed Marilyn Monroe for Redbook magazine in March 1955 for a story which would follow Monroe through her daily routine, the photography to be candid and shot wit...
Category

1950s Modern William Klein Art

Materials

Silver Gelatin

Poet/Photographer/Andy Warhol assistant Gerard Malanga signed by Jack Mitchell
By Jack Mitchell
Located in Senoia, GA
11 x 14" vintage silver gelatin photograph of Poet/Photographer and Andy Warhol assistant Gerard Malanga photographed in Manhattan in 1970. Signed by Jack Mitchell on the recto. Come...
Category

1970s Pop Art William Klein Art

Materials

Silver Gelatin

Robert Mitchum and Marilyn Monroe in "River of no Return", 1954 , 29, 8 x 19, 9 cm
Located in Cologne, DE
Norma Jeane Mortenson or better known as Marilyn Monroe – iconic, beautiful and maybe the most known Hollywood Stars of the 20th century. Born and raised in Los Angeles, USA, she spent most of her childhood in foster homes and orphanage. She got married with only 16 years old and while working for a factory during WW II, she met a photographer from the First Motion Picture Unit and started a succesful modeling career. The rest of her life is history: In the 50s she was one of the most marketable actresses, had held leading roles in various movies and was known for her immense sex appeal. As a highly intelligent woman, she knew how to build a career, while, in her private life she struggled with addiction and mood disorder. At the age of 36 she died from an overdose of barbiturates at her Los Angeles home. With her breathy voice and hourglass figure, she is until today one of Hollywood's most famous actresses. Description: Robert Mitchum...
Category

1950s Modern William Klein Art

Materials

Silver Gelatin, Black and White

Previously Available Items
William Klein Bikini, Moscow exhibition poster (William Klein Paris 1981)
By William Klein
Located in NEW YORK, NY
William Klein Bikini, Moscow Exhibition Poster: Paris, 1981: Highly decorative, rare vintage William Klein Bikini, Moscow exhibition poster defined by Klein's famed 1959 photo. Printed on fine, heavy-weight paper; excellent color tones and overall quality; looks fantastic framed. Offset lithograph on thick wove paper. 1981. 21 x 30 inches. Minor signs of handling; good to very good overall vintage condition. Work has been stored flat in archival setting for many years. Unsigned from an edition of unknown. William Klein is an American artist known for his one of a kind style of abstract photography depicting city scenes. Although similar in subject matter to other street photographers such as Diane Arbus and Saul Leiter, as well as fashion photographers Irving Penn and Richard Avedon, Klein’s images break from established modes. Born on April 19, 1928 in New York, Klein studied painting and worked briefly as Fernand Léger’s assistant in Paris, but never received formal training in photography. His fashion work has been featured prominently in Vogue magazine, and has also been the subject of several iconic...
Category

1960s Contemporary William Klein Art

Materials

Lithograph, Offset

William Klein MoMa press photo "Kiev Railway Station" 1981
By William Klein
Located in NEW YORK, NY
Publicity print for William Klein at MoMa 1981. William Klein 'Kiev Railroad Station, Moscow' (1959). Silver gelatin print; 8x10 inches; very good vintage condition. Unsigned from a scarce edition of unknown. Published by MoMa New York 1981; includes original press information (image 2). The social documentary tendencies of William Klein’s oeuvre find their roots in his hometown of New York City. Though he began as a painter working in Paris and Milan, Klein was enticed back to the U.S. by photography and immediately began working for Vogue. Klein's first assignment was to create a photo-journal of New York, a project that began his raw city portraits...
Category

1950s Contemporary William Klein Art

Materials

Photographic Paper, Silver Gelatin

William Klein-Evelyn + Gauloise, Paris (1958)-31.5" x 23.5"-Poster-1995
By William Klein
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Some rippling present in the top edge of the print.
Category

20th Century William Klein Art

Materials

Offset

William Klein Bikini Moscow exhibition poster (William Klein Paris 1981)
By William Klein
Located in NEW YORK, NY
William Klein Bikini, Moscow Exhibition Poster: Galerie Zabriskie, Paris, 1981 A chic, elegant, rare vintage William Klein exhibit poster defined by Klein's famed 'Bikini, Moscow' (1...
Category

1960s Contemporary William Klein Art

Materials

Offset, Lithograph

Muhammad Ali, Kinshasa, Republique Democratique du Congo
By William Klein
Located in Santa Monica, CA
William Klein (American, b. April 19, 1928) is a photographer best known for incorporating unusual elements into his photographs and videos. Born in New York, he grew up as a Jewish boy...
Category

1970s William Klein Art

Materials

Silver Gelatin

Simone, Painting, Coffee, Rome
By William Klein
Located in Santa Monica, CA
signed by artist
Category

William Klein Art

Materials

Silver Gelatin

Two Waiters in Café, Rome
By William Klein
Located in Santa Monica, CA
signed by artist
Category

William Klein Art

Materials

Silver Gelatin

Atomic Bomb Sky, New York
By William Klein
Located in Santa Monica, CA
signed by artist
Category

William Klein Art

Materials

Silver Gelatin

Fellini Drinking Coffee, Rome
By William Klein
Located in Santa Monica, CA
signed by artist
Category

William Klein Art

Materials

Silver Gelatin

Simone & Nina, Piazza di Spanga, Rome [Vogue]
By William Klein
Located in Santa Monica, CA
signed by artist
Category

William Klein Art

Materials

Silver Gelatin

Barbershop, Rome
By William Klein
Located in Santa Monica, CA
William Klein (born April 19, 1928) is an American-born French photographer and filmmaker noted for his ironic approach[1][2] to both media and his extensive use of unusual photograp...
Category

1950s William Klein Art

Materials

Silver Gelatin

Club Allegro Fortissimo, Paris
By William Klein
Located in Santa Monica, CA
signed by artist
Category

William Klein Art

Materials

Silver Gelatin

William Klein art for sale on 1stDibs.

Find a wide variety of authentic William Klein art available for sale on 1stDibs. You can also browse by medium to find art by William Klein in lithograph, offset print and more. Much of the original work by this artist or collective was created during the 1960s and is mostly associated with the Pop Art style. Not every interior allows for large William Klein art, so small editions measuring 12 inches across are available. Customers who are interested in this artist might also find the work of Danny Lyon, Nickolas Muray, and Garry Winogrand. William Klein art prices can differ depending upon medium, time period and other attributes. On 1stDibs, the price for these items starts at $625 and tops out at $75,000, while the average work can sell for $6,000.

Recently Viewed

View All