Woman
View Similar Items
Willem de KooningWoman 1959
1959
About the Item
- Creator:Willem de Kooning (1904-1997, American, Dutch)
- Creation Year:1959
- Dimensions:Height: 11.5 in (29.21 cm)Width: 8.5 in (21.59 cm)
- Medium:
- Movement & Style:
- Period:
- Condition:
- Gallery Location:Palm Desert, CA
- Reference Number:Seller: 332231stDibs: LU935664812
Willem de Kooning
As the de facto leader of the New York avant-garde art movement of the 1950s known as Abstract Expressionism, Dutch-American painter Willem de Kooning blended figuration and abstraction in a revolutionary manner that has resonated for decades. His best-known paintings, which were most often of women but gesturally abstract, were unique and incredibly influential at the time. Today, de Kooning is widely considered one of the most important artists of the 20th century.
De Kooning trained in fine and commercial arts at the Rotterdam Academy in his hometown of Rotterdam, the Netherlands, before immigrating to the United States in 1926. His first job in America was as a house painter in New Jersey, and the period left an indelible impression on him as he brought large brushes, loose strokes and fluid paints into his work as an artist. He also worked on public murals under President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s Works Progress Administration (WPA) program in the 1930s. De Kooning’s studies weren’t executed but they included some of his first abstractions, which showed the influence of like-minded artists as well as the music of the Jazz Age. His broad foundation in classical drawing and physical labor are evident even in the most abstract of his works, which amounted to a fusion of Cubism, Expressionism and Surrealism.
It was in New York that de Kooning found the space and an abundance of inspiration to pursue art full time. Surrounded by prominent artists like Jackson Pollock, Arshile Gorky, Lee Krasner and Fernand Léger, de Kooning drew from the freedom and boldness with which they all approached their work. In 1943, he married Elaine de Kooning, a versatile and immensely talented New York painter with a significant role in the Abstract Expressionist movement.
A major motif in de Kooning’s work is the deconstructed female form. A collection of paintings demonstrative of this is now known as his “Woman” series of the early 1950s, which remains controversial more than half a century later. Drawing inspiration from photography in magazines and using vivid colors and expressive brushstrokes to unforgettable effect, de Kooning depicted his subjects as grotesque, sexualized and loosely abstracted forms, which many critics deemed angry and misogynistic. But it is this very fearlessness in visual and conceptual experimentation that made de Kooning a crucial figure of Abstract Expressionism.
Today, de Kooning’s work is among the most coveted art in the world. His Interchange (1955), with its bold lines and shapes executed in primary colors, is one of the most expensive paintings ever sold.
Find a collection of Willem de Kooning art on 1stDibs.
- The ForestBy Alexander CalderLocated in Palm Desert, CAA painting by Alexander Calder. "The Forest" is a Post-War abstract painting, gouache and ink on paper in bold colors of reds, blacks, yellows, and blues by artist Alexander Calder. The artwork is signed lower right, "Calder 72...Category
Mid-20th Century Post-War Abstract Paintings
MaterialsInk, Gouache
$175,000 - Tornado in SpaceBy Alexander CalderLocated in Palm Desert, CAA drawing by Alexander Calder. "Tornado in Space" is a Post-War abstract drawing, ink on paper in black and white by artist Alexander Calder. The artwork is signed in the lower right...Category
Early 20th Century Post-War Abstract Drawings and Watercolors
MaterialsInk
- Launching Station #1By Dennis A. OppenheimLocated in Palm Desert, CAA color pencil and pigment work on paper by Post War artist Dennis Oppenheim. Signed lower right, "Dennis Oppenheim 1981". Provenance: General Electric Corporate Collection; Hea...Category
1980s Post-War Abstract Drawings and Watercolors
MaterialsColor Pencil, Paper, Pigment
- Two CrossesBy Alexander CalderLocated in Palm Desert, CA"Two Crosses" is a gouache on paper by Alexander Calder. The work is signed in the lower right, "Calder 65”. Although renowned for his innovative and groundbreaking sculptures, Alexander Calder started his artistic career as an abstract painter, preferring to use gouache. What is gouache? Gouache is a water-soluble paint – a type of opaque watercolor. As Calder returned to gouache painting towards the end of his life, he was now armed with a lifetime of experience as a sculptor. He explored the three-dimensional vocabulary of sculptural forms he had developed onto the two-dimensional surface of the paper. Certain shapes and colors recur throughout his gouaches and sculptures. Circles, ovals, and other geometric forms dominate the space. There is the same sense of energy and fluidity. The shapes do not sit on the surface but vibrate giving a feeling of movement in contrast to the static nature of painting. Like his sculpture, Calder’s gouache...Category
1960s Abstract Abstract Drawings and Watercolors
MaterialsPaper, Ink, Gouache
- Three Pyramids + Blue BallBy Alexander CalderLocated in Palm Desert, CA"Three Pyramids + Blue Ball" is a gouache on paper by Alexander Calder. The work is signed in the lower right, "Calder 73”. Although renowned for his innovative and groundbreaking sculptures, Alexander Calder started his artistic career as an abstract painter, preferring to use gouache. What is gouache? Gouache is a water-soluble paint – a type of opaque watercolor. As Calder returned to gouache painting towards the end of his life, he was now armed with a lifetime of experience as a sculptor. He explored the three-dimensional vocabulary of sculptural forms he had developed onto the two-dimensional surface of the paper. Certain shapes and colors recur throughout his gouaches and sculptures. Circles, ovals, and other geometric forms dominate the space. There is the same sense of energy and fluidity. The shapes do not sit on the surface but vibrate giving a feeling of movement in contrast to the static nature of painting. Like his sculpture, Calder’s gouache...Category
1970s Abstract Abstract Drawings and Watercolors
MaterialsPaper, Ink, Gouache
- BobineBy Alexander CalderLocated in Palm Desert, CA"Bobine" is a gouache and ink on paper by Alexander Calder. The work is signed in the lower right "Calder 72". Although renowned for his innovative and groundbreaking sculptures, Alexander Calder started his artistic career as an abstract painter, preferring to use gouache. What is gouache? Gouache is a water-soluble paint – a type of opaque watercolor. As Calder returned to gouache painting towards the end of his life, he was now armed with a lifetime of experience as a sculptor. He explored the three-dimensional vocabulary of sculptural forms he had developed onto the two-dimensional surface of the paper. Certain shapes and colors recur throughout his gouaches and sculptures. Circles, ovals, and other geometric forms dominate the space. There is the same sense of energy and fluidity. The shapes do not sit on the surface but vibrate giving a feeling of movement in contrast to the static nature of painting. Like his sculpture, Calder’s gouache...Category
1970s Abstract Abstract Drawings and Watercolors
MaterialsGouache, Paper, Ink
$180,000
- Untitled (Albuquerque)By Richard DiebenkornLocated in New York, NYRichard Diebenkorn Untitled (Albuquerque), 1951 Ink On Paper 11 x 8.63 inCategory
1950s Post-War Abstract Drawings and Watercolors
MaterialsInk
Price Upon Request - "Ploumanac'h I" Watercolor on Paper 9" x 12.5" inch by Inji EfflatounBy Inji EfflatounLocated in Culver City, CA"Ploumanac'h I" Watercolor on Paper 9" x 12.5" inch by Inji Efflatoun circa1950 dated Inji Eflatoun pursued free studies in art. Since 1942, she has participated in the exhibitions...Category
20th Century Post-War Abstract Drawings and Watercolors
MaterialsWatercolor, Archival Paper
- "Au Marche" Inks on Paper 8" x 12" inch (1983) by Inji EfflatounBy Inji EfflatounLocated in Culver City, CA"Au Marche" Inks on Paper 8" x 12" inch (1983) by Inji Efflatoun Signed and dated Inji Eflatoun pursued free studies in art. Since 1942, she has participated in the exhibitions of...Category
20th Century Post-War Figurative Drawings and Watercolors
MaterialsWatercolor, Archival Paper
- "Sarlat" Watercolor on Paper 16" x 12" inch (1985) by Inji EfflatounBy Inji EfflatounLocated in Culver City, CA"Sarlat" Watercolor on Paper 16" x 12" inch (1985) by Inji Efflatoun 1985 signed & dated Inji Eflatoun pursued free studies in art. Since 1942, she has participated in the exhibiti...Category
20th Century Post-War Abstract Drawings and Watercolors
MaterialsWatercolor, Archival Paper
- "Sarlat II" Watercolor on Paper 12" x 8" inch by Inji EfflatounBy Inji EfflatounLocated in Culver City, CA"Sarlat II" Watercolor on Paper 12" x 8" inch by Inji Efflatoun circa1950 Signed Inji Eflatoun pursued free studies in art. Since 1942, she has participated in the exhibitions of ...Category
20th Century Post-War Abstract Drawings and Watercolors
MaterialsWatercolor, Archival Paper
- "Harvest" Pencil Drawing 8" x 12" in by Inji EfflatounBy Inji EfflatounLocated in Culver City, CA"Harvest" Pencil Drawing 8" x 12" in by Inji Efflatoun Stamped Unique work. Inji Eflatoun pursued free studies in art. Since 1942, she has participated in the exhibitions of the Av...Category
20th Century Post-War Figurative Drawings and Watercolors
MaterialsArchival Paper, Pencil
Recently Viewed
View AllRead More
Penelope Gottlieb’s Comic-Style Painting Is a Requiem for a Vanished Flower
This piece may look like Pop art fun, but embedded within is a message of a planet on the brink.
10 Reasons Art Collectors Are Obsessed with Andy Warhol
More than three decades after his death, the prolific Pop artist and cultural icon's body of work continues to captivate. Here's a primer of some of his most notable motifs and mediums.