Kline, Franz, 1910-62, American painter, b. Wilkes-Barre, Pa. He studied (1937-38) in England, then settled in New York City. From the early 1950s, Kline exhibited large canvases of dynamically painted black-and-white grids. His works often recall Chinese calligraphy but he himself denied Asian influence. His subsequent works, sometimes with notes of bright color, established his reputation as an important figure in the movement known as abstract expressionism.