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Willem de Kooning
The Man and the Big Blonde
1982

Name: The Man and the Big Blonde
Brand: Willem de Kooning
Price: 7250 USD
Availability: InStock

About the Item

Willem de Kooning (1904-1997) was one of the torchbearers of post-war American abstraction and one of the most important artists of the 20th century. With a career spanning nearly seven decades, his oeuvre is marked by extensive exploration and experimentation. While his contemporaries focused on non-representational art, de Kooning's compositions were not exclusively abstract. The female figure was a frequent point of departure for de Kooning, who used frenetic brushstrokes and dense applications of paint to fragment and depict their form. "The Man and the Big Blonde" displays key characteristics of his hybrid aesthetic. Thick brushstrokes of saffron fill the right side of the page, evoking the impression of cascading blonde hair. The voluminous shape seem to envelop the heavily distorted figure on the left, in what could be a romantic encounter or an expression of something more sinister or cynical. The mysterious figure is depicted with a large eye that peers back at the viewer amidst the interaction. Eyes are a recurring motif throughout de Kooning's oeuvre, heightening the emotional intensity of the work by hinting at the presence of a concealed figure. In 2018, de Kooning achieved an auction record of $68 million for his 1955 painting "Women as a Landscape." Today, his work can be found in every major public collection around the world including the Metropolitan Museum of Art (New York), the Museum of Contemporary Arts Tokyo, the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, and the Art Gallery of Ontario. Questions about this piece? Contact us. "The Man and the Big Blonde" USA, 1982 Offset lithograph printed in colors on wove paper Signed in the plate, numbered by hand (Cii/CL) or 102/150 From an edition of 150 (CL) 23.5"H 29"W (visible) 32"H 38"W (framed) Minor wear to frame Published by The Rainbow Art Foundation Note: There were two editions of this work published by Rainbow Art Foundation. One was signed in pencil by the artist and was numbered in Arabic numbers out of 150 (plus 15 artists’ proofs). The second, as seen here, is with a facsimile signature, and numbered in Roman numerals out of CL.

Creator:

Willem de Kooning (1904-1997, American, Dutch)

Creation Year:

1982

Dimensions:

Height: 23.5 in (59.69 cm)Width: 29 in (73.66 cm)

Medium:

Lithograph,Offset

Movement & Style:

Abstract Expressionist

Period:

1980-1989

Condition:

Very good condition. Minor wear to frame.

Gallery Location:

Toronto, CA

Reference Number:

Seller: 06-231stDibs: LU215212455092

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Shop All Willem de Kooning

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.

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