Document, 1961, ca.

Yves Klein, Prayer to Santa Rita

The BLUE, the GOLD, the PINK, the IMMATERIAL, the VOID, the architecture of air, the urbanism of air, the climatization of vast geographical spaces for a return of human life to the legendary Edenic state. The three bars of fine gold are the proceeds from the sale of the first four ZONES OF IMMATERIAL PICTORIAL SENSIBILITY.

To God the Almighty Father in the name of the Son, Jesus Christ, in the name of the Holy Spirit, and in the name of the Holy Virgin. Through Saint Rita of Cascia under her guardianship and protection, with all my infinite gratitude. Thank you.

Y. K.

Saint Rita of Cascia, I ask you to intercede with God the Al- mighty Father that He may always grant me, in the name of the Son, Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit, and the Holy Virgin, the grace of living in my works and that they may always become more beautiful; and that He may also grant me the grace that I may discover continually and regularly new things in art, each time more beautiful, even if, alas, I am not always worthy to be a tool for creating Great Beauty. May all that emerges from me be beautiful. So be it.

Y. K.

Under the earthly guardianship of Saint Rita of Cascia: pictorial sensibility; the monochromes; the I.K.B.; the sponge sculptures; the immaterial; the static, negative and positive anthropomet- ric prints; the shrouds; the fountains of fire and water; the archi- tecture of air; the regulating of geographic spaces, thus trans- formed into constant Edens rediscovered on the surface of our globe; the Void.

The theater of the void; all the particular marginal variations of my work; the Cosmogonies; my blue sky ; all my theories in general. May my enemies become my friends, and if that is impossible, may any attempt against me never harm me. Make me and all my works invulnerable. So be it.

May my work in Gelsenkirchen always be beautiful, more and more beautiful, and be recognized as such and as soon as possible. May the fountains of fire and walls of fire be executed by me without delay in front of the Gelsenkirchen opera house; may my exhibition in Krefeld be the greatest success of the cen- tury and be recognized by all.

Saint Rita of Cascia, saint of impossible and desperate cases, thank you for all the powerful, decisive, marvelous aide that you have granted me up to now. Thank you infinitely. Even if I am personally unworthy of it, grant me your aide again and always in my art and always protect everything that I have created so that even in spite of myself it should always be of great beauty.

Y. K.