William Klein

William Klein (1926–2022) was an American photographer, filmmaker, and artist associated with experimental photography and graphic design. After serving in Europe with the U.S. Army during World War II, he moved to Paris under the G.I. Bill to study painting. He enrolled at the Sorbonne and studied with Fernand Léger, during which time he developed friendships with Ellsworth Kelly and Jack Youngerman, becoming part of the circle of young American artists working in postwar Paris. He married a French woman and established a celebrated career in the city, where he remained until his death in 2022.