Frank Kleinholz was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York. He graduated from Fordham Law School with a law degree before he began his painting career. During the 1930s Kleinholz began experimenting with painting and drawing. He began studying with Yasuo Kuniyoshi and Sol Wilson, from whom he developed his interest in Expressionism and Social Realism.

Kleinholz was primarily interested in capturing scenes of urban life. The Great Depression and World War II strongly influenced his early work. He often captured scenes of city-dwellers in tenement housing or the urban streets of Brooklyn. After the end of WWII, Kleinholz’s palette lightened and his work began capturing lighthearted subjects, such as depictions of children and families.