Willem de Kooning
Willem de Kooning, Untitled, from Poems, 1988
1988

Name: Willem de Kooning, Untitled, from Poems, 1988
Brand: Willem de Kooning
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About the Item

This exquisite lithograph by Willem de Kooning (1904–1997), titled Untitled, from the folio Poems, originates from the 1988 edition published by The Limited Editions Club, New York, and printed by Trestle Editions Ltd., New York, under the direction of Benjamin Shiff, New York, 1988. Untitled exemplifies de Kooning’s masterful command of gestural abstraction and dynamic composition, expressing movement, vitality, and emotional resonance through his distinctive synthesis of form and color. Executed as a lithograph on papier Kitakata a la main, mounted on papier Cartiere Enrico Magnani a la main paper, as issued, this work measures 23.5 x 19 inches. Unsigned and unnumbered as issued. The edition exemplifies the superb craftsmanship of Trestle Editions Ltd. and the refined production standards of The Limited Editions Club, New York. Artwork Details: Artist: Willem de Kooning (1904–1997) Title: Untitled, from the folio Poems Medium: Lithograph on papier Kitakata a la main, mounted on papier Cartiere Enrico Magnani a la main paper, as issued Dimensions: 23.5 x 19 inches (59.69 x 48.26 cm) Inscription: Unsigned and unnumbered as issued Date: 1988 Publisher: The Limited Editions Club, New York Printer: Trestle Editions Ltd., New York, under the direction of Benjamin Shiff, New York Condition: Well preserved, consistent with age and medium Provenance: From the folio Poems, published by The Limited Editions Club, New York, 1988 Notes: Excerpted from the folio, This edition consists of DL examples. The text has been set in English Monotype Bodoni 135 by Julia Ferrari and Dan Carr at Golgonooza Letterfoundry and hand-composed by Arthur Larson at Horton Tank Graphics. The display type is Bauer Bodoni. The text has been printed at Wild Carrot Letterpress. The paper was made at Cartiere Enrico Magnani. The mylars were transferred to lithographic plates at American Atelier by Benjamin Shiff and printed under his direction at Trestle Editions. The lithographs were printed on Japanese kitakata. The prints were hand-torn and applied with intaglio presses to the text page at Wingate Studio and Renaissance Press. This publication was designed and edited by Benjamin Shiff. About the Publication: Poems, published in 1988 by The Limited Editions Club, New York, represents one of the most refined achievements of late 20th-century fine press art publishing. Conceived and edited by Benjamin Shiff, this collaboration united master printers, typefounders, and papermakers to create a tactile synthesis of literature and visual art. Printed on hand-crafted papers from Cartiere Enrico Magnani and Kitakata, the folio exemplifies the meticulous craftsmanship that defines The Limited Editions Club’s legacy. The lithographs, executed under Shiff’s direction at Trestle Editions, combine painterly spontaneity with technical precision, demonstrating how contemporary printmaking could evoke the expressive power of original painting while maintaining the integrity of the printed book. Each component—from the hand-set typography and fine letterpress printing to the careful mounting and binding—reflects the publisher’s dedication to merging aesthetic excellence with conceptual unity. Poems remains a landmark in the history of American fine art publishing, embodying the harmony between material beauty, artistic experimentation, and literary depth. About the Artist: Willem de Kooning (1904–1997) was a Dutch-American master whose groundbreaking fusion of abstraction and figuration transformed modern painting and positioned him among the most influential artists of the 20th century. Born in Rotterdam, the Netherlands, de Kooning trained at the Rotterdam Academy of Fine Arts before immigrating to the United States in 1926, where he became a leading force in the Abstract Expressionist movement. Deeply influenced by the radical experimentation of Pablo Picasso, Wassily Kandinsky, Joan Miro, Salvador Dali, Alberto Giacometti, Marcel Duchamp, and Man Ray, de Kooning combined European modernism with the raw energy of postwar America, creating a distinctly personal visual language defined by gesture, motion, and emotion. Alongside peers such as Jackson Pollock, Mark Rothko, Franz Kline, and Arshile Gorky, he helped establish New York as the epicenter of modern art. His iconic Woman series of the 1950s exemplified his lifelong tension between chaos and control, merging beauty and violence through layered brushwork and visceral color. Over the decades, his art evolved from dense, aggressive compositions to luminous, lyrical abstractions that captured movement, light, and psychological depth. De Kooning’s innovative techniques—scraping, reworking, and layering paint—embodied painting as a living process, influencing generations of artists including Cy Twombly, Robert Rauschenberg, Helen Frankenthaler, Jasper Johns, Joan Mitchell, Gerhard Richter, Cecily Brown, Jenny Saville, and Anselm Kiefer. Admired by conceptual pioneers like Alexander Calder and Marcel Duchamp for his fearless experimentation, de Kooning bridged European avant-garde ideals with the vitality of American abstraction, making him a pivotal figure in the evolution of modern art. His works reside in the Museum of Modern Art, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Tate, and the Centre Pompidou, among others, and his expressive legacy continues to shape contemporary painting worldwide. The highest auction record for Willem de Kooning was achieved when Interchange (1955) sold for $300 million USD in a private sale brokered by David Geffen to Kenneth C. Griffin in September 2015, making it one of the most expensive paintings ever sold and affirming his place as one of the greatest and most valuable artists in history. Willem de Kooning Untitled Poems The Limited Editions Club Trestle Editions Benjamin Shiff New York lithograph Kitakata Magnani modern art.

Creator:
Willem de Kooning (1904-1997, American, Dutch)
Creation Year:
1988
Dimensions:
Height: 23.5 in (59.69 cm)Width: 19 in (48.26 cm)
Medium:
Lithograph
Movement & Style:
Abstract Expressionist
Period:
1980-1989
Condition:
Gallery Location:
Southampton, NY
Reference Number:
1stDibs: LU1465216009872

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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.

Untitled (Beach)

By Willem de Kooning

Located in New York, NY

A very good impression of this scarce color screenprint on Arches with strong colors. Signed and numbered 9/75 in pencil. Printed by Ives-Sillman, New Haven, with the blind stamp low...

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