Table Bleue at Yves Klein's apartment in Paris, France
Photo by François Coquerel for Wall Street Journal Magazine
A leading member of the Nouveau réalisme movement, French artist Yves Klein is considered as one of the pioneers of performance, minimalism and pop art. Always innovative, Klein’s body of work spanned many mediums and his artistic endeavors took a foray into the world of furniture design in the early 1960s, giving functionality and physicality to his monochrome works.

Filling each Perspex-and-glass tables with the Klein Blue (IKB) pigment (the signature shade of ultramarine blue that he patented in 1960), rose pigment and 22K gold leaf, he formed the trinity of colours that became the foundation of his works. Suspended in space, Klein draws our eyes to these beguilingly rich tones, evoking an ever-enticing sense of depth. The longer you stare at the single base hue, the more shades, tones and tints come to light. Based on two prototypes designed in 1961 and executed just after Klein’s sudden passing in 1963 under the supervision of his widow, Rotraut Klein-Moquay, these iconic tables stand as a testament to his exploration into the ‘infinite presence’ and emotive power of colours.