Yves Klein at Blenheim Palace

As one of the greatest masterpieces of 18th century Baroque architecture in the UK, you never really need another reason to visit Blenheim Palace. But if your aesthetic interests are more rooted in the 20th century, Blenheim's upcoming solo exhibition of visionary French artist Yves Klein might be enough to tempt you onto a day trip out of the capital.

Born in Nice in 1928, Klein is best known for a number of seminal art historical achievements: his prodigious use of the trademarked ultramarine pigment, International Klein Blue (IKB); his melding of painting and performance by using the naked female form as a brush; and his reduction of art to its most visceral and elemental states. In spite of (or arguably because of) his tragic death at the age of 34, Klein remains the most coveted artists of 20th century art.

With over 50 pieces on display, Yves Klein at Blenheim Palace will be the most comprehensive exhibition of the artist’s work to ever take place in the UK.

Klein’s minimal, and indisputably post-modern, paintings, sculptures and installations will be placed amidst the overwhelming grandeur of this World-Heritage site, initiating a profound dialogue that explores concepts of beauty and the sublime across the ages.

The exhibition marks the fifth anniversary of Blenheim Art Foundation, which has previously welcomed contemporary interventions from Chinese artist Ai Weiwei (2014) and, most recently, American LED light sculptor Jenny Holzer.

Working closely with the Yves Klein Foundation, Blenheim’s invitation adds another thread to the artist’s important legacy. We can’t wait to see Klein’s sonorous blue monochromes invigorating the Great Hall, and the entirely new kind of aesthetic experience that this exhibition will offer.