Ex-voto dedicated to Saint Rita of Cascia - Yves Klein

A fine art print of Yves Klein's 1961 votive offering, featuring his signature International Klein Blue, pink pigment, and gold leaf.

This work is a personal offering created by Yves Klein, deposited at the Monastery of Saint Rita in Cascia, Italy. The piece consists of a transparent plexiglass box containing three distinct compartments filled with pure pigments: International Klein Blue (IKB), pink, and gold leaf. Below these, a handwritten note by the artist provides context regarding his aesthetic philosophy, referencing his concept of the void and the immaterial. Klein maintained a private devotion to Saint Rita, the patron saint of impossible causes. This object functions as a votive offering, bridging his avant-garde artistic practice with traditional religious ritual. The inclusion of a gold ingot, which Klein associated with the sale of his immaterial zones, adds a layer of economic and spiritual exchange to the work. The composition is structured with geometric precision, separating the materials into clear, distinct zones that invite contemplation of their physical properties. As a primary figure of the Nouveau Réalisme movement, Klein sought to move beyond traditional painting. By presenting raw materials in a contained, archival format, he directs the viewer toward the essence of colour and matter. The handwritten text serves as a manifesto, linking the physical components to his broader theories on the architecture of air and the return to an Edenic state of human existence. This print captures the precise arrangement of the original object, preserving the texture of the loose pigments and the metallic sheen of the gold leaf. It offers a view into the intersection of conceptual rigour and personal faith that defined the final years of Klein's career.