Yves Klein Painted Everything Blue and Wasn’t Sorry. is an illustrated artist biography written and illustrated by Italian artist Fausto Gilberti and published by Phaidon in 2019.

Part of Phaidon’s Rebel Artists series, the book introduces younger readers to Yves Klein, one of the most influential figures in twentieth-century European art. Klein became famous for his radical use of a single intense shade of blue and for challenging conventional ideas about painting, sculpture, performance, and the nature of the artwork itself. Phaidon

Gilberti tells Klein’s story through concise, playful text and bold black-line drawings punctuated with bright blue splashes. The book follows Klein as he paints canvases, globes, branches, gallery floors, and even uses the human body as part of his artistic process, presenting his experimental practice in a way that is accessible to younger readers while still appealing to adult art lovers and collectors. Phaidon

The hardcover volume contains 48 pages and measures approximately 21.5 × 21.5 cm / 8.5 × 8.5 in. It carries ISBN 978-1-83866-014-7 and was published by Phaidon in 2019. 

Klein’s best-known artistic identity is closely associated with the intense ultramarine hue that became known as International Klein Blue. His fascination with monochrome color, immateriality, space, and performance helped expand the boundaries of postwar art and made him an important precursor to conceptual and performance-based practices.

Fausto Gilberti’s treatment emphasizes Klein’s rule-breaking spirit, humor, and willingness to challenge what an artwork could be. The result is both an approachable introduction to modern art and a visually distinctive artist book in its own right.

A distinctive publication for admirers of Yves Klein, modern and contemporary art, monochrome painting, conceptual art, illustrated artist biographies, children’s art education, and Fausto Gilberti’s Rebel Artists series.

Artist: Yves Klein
Author / Illustrator: Fausto Gilberti
Title: Yves Klein Painted Everything Blue and Wasn’t Sorry.
Format: Illustrated artist biography / hardcover art book
Publisher: Phaidon Press
Year: 2019
Binding: Hardback
Language: English
Pages: 48
Illustrations: Black-line illustrations with blue accents and splashes
Size: 21.5 × 21.5 cm / 8.5 × 8.5 in
ISBN: 978-1-83866-014-7
Edition: Standard edition
Series: Rebel Artists
Recommended age: 4–7 years
Subject: Yves Klein — International Klein Blue, monochrome painting, performance, conceptual art, and modern art
Author / Illustrator: Fausto Gilberti, Italian painter and illustrator based in Brescia