Franz Kline: Pioneer of Abstract Expressionism Franz Kline, a pivotal figure in the Abstract Expressionist movement, remains an artist whose work resonates with raw power and emotional depth. Born in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, in 1910, his life was marked by early hardship – the suicide of his father when he was just seven years old cast a long shadow, influencing a sensibility that would later find expression in the stark contrasts defining his art. This formative experience led to a nomadic youth and eventual enrollment at Girard College, a Philadelphia boarding school for boys who had lo…