Willem de Kooning

(1904 – 1997)

The leader in Abstract Expressionism in the mid-20th century, Willem de Kooning was the founder of the New York School of action painting. For him and his followers, process in creating their work was as important as the final result. He was married to Elaine de Kooning, also an artist, whose promotion of him through writing, lectures and socializing is thought to be a key factor in his success.

De Kooning is represented in the collections of Museum of Modern Art, Metropolitan Museum of Art, Whitney Museum of American Art, Guggenheim Museum, NY, National Gallery of Art, Washington DC, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Art Institute of Chicago, Hirshhorn Museum, Washington DC, Walker Art Collection, Minneapolis, Phillips Collection, Washington DC, Detroit Institute of Arts, Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco, MA, Tate Gallery, London, Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum, Madrid, Venice, Kunstmuseum, Basel, Stedelijk Museum of Modern Art, Amsterdam and Staatsgalerie Stuttgart, Germany.