Yves Klein's Monumental Monochrome Fetches €18.4 Million, Setting French Record at Christie's Paris

The monumental monochrome canvas by Yves Klein, titled “California, (IKB 71),” served as the centerpiece of the recent Christie’s auction held in Paris. This highly significant artwork achieved an impressive sale price of 18.4 million euros on October 23, 2025. This transaction, which took place during the “Avant-Garde(s) including Thinking Italian” sale, not only captured widespread attention from the art world but also established a new historical benchmark for Klein’s works sold within France. Consequently, this figure officially represents the highest price ever realized in the country for a painting by the acclaimed artist, underscoring the escalating demand and interest in his creations across the European market.

Created in 1961, this particular canvas is exceptionally noteworthy because it remains the largest monochrome painting by Klein still held in private hands, a distinction that naturally drew intense interest from global collectors and institutions alike. Its physical dimensions are truly imposing, befitting its monumental designation: the work stretches over four meters (14 feet) in length. The piece showcases a unique composition, utilizing dry pigment skillfully suspended within a synthetic resin—a specialized method synonymous with the artist's signature style. Auction house descriptions further highlight that Klein affixed small pebbles to the surface, lending the work a texture described as “evoking the seabed beneath the blue abyss of the ocean.”

While the final hammer price surpassed many initial expert predictions, it ultimately landed comfortably within the broad pre-sale estimate range established by the auction house, which spanned from 16 million to 25 million euros. This robust result serves as a powerful testament to the market’s unwavering confidence in the enduring value of Klein’s artistic legacy. He is widely regarded as a pivotal figure in European post-war abstraction, and this successful sale reinforces his critical status among international collectors.

Adding substantial prestige and, consequently, high market value to the work is its impeccable provenance. Previously, the painting was on long-term loan to the esteemed Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, where it resided from 2005 through 2008. Recently clarified documentation regarding its history also confirms that the piece, completed shortly after Klein’s sole visit to the United States in 1961, was first displayed in New York by dealer Leo Castelli before being exhibited in Los Angeles. This detailed history provides significant historical depth to the artwork’s narrative and confirms its early importance.

Yves Klein, who tragically passed away in 1962 at the young age of 34, is celebrated globally for his profound and radical exploration of pure color. He famously patented his proprietary shade, International Klein Blue (IKB), an intense ultramarine hue achieved by suspending the pigment in a specialized synthetic binding agent. The intense focus placed on the “California, (IKB 71)” canvas during Paris Art Week reflected a deep appreciation among patrons for its historical significance and intrinsic worth. This successful sale powerfully confirms that Klein’s radical commitment to the monochrome continues to resonate strongly and find favor with new generations of collectors and art enthusiasts, cementing his place in art history.