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Willem de Kooning Drawings and Watercolor Paintings

American, Dutch, 1904-1997

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.

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Artist: Willem de Kooning
Willem de Kooning, (Reclining Female Nude) A Special Gift For His Dear Friends
By Willem de Kooning
Located in San Francisco, CA
With such fondness, 20th-century artistic titan Willem de Kooning gifted this charcoal sketch on paper to his close East Hampton friends Roger and Lucia Wilcox...
Category

1960s Abstract Expressionist Willem de Kooning Drawings and Watercolor Paintings

Materials

Paper, Charcoal

Untitled
By Willem de Kooning
Located in Beverly Hills, CA
A masterful 1960s, figurative, graphite drawing by the father of the abstract expressionist movement, Willem de Kooning. The work comes from a distinguished West Coast collection and...
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1960s Willem de Kooning Drawings and Watercolor Paintings

Materials

Paper, Graphite

The Thinker
By Willem de Kooning
Located in Miami, FL
A large charcoal-on-paper rendering by arguably one of America's most influential artists. It comes from the pioneering Allan Stone Galleries, who ...
Category

1960s Abstract Expressionist Willem de Kooning Drawings and Watercolor Paintings

Materials

Paper, Charcoal

The Thinker
The Thinker
$68,000 Sale Price
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Willem De Kooning drawings and watercolor paintings for sale on 1stDibs.

Find a wide variety of authentic Willem de Kooning drawings and watercolor paintings available for sale on 1stDibs. You can also browse by medium to find art by Willem de Kooning in charcoal, paper and more. Much of the original work by this artist or collective was created during the 1960s and is mostly associated with the abstract style. Not every interior allows for large Willem de Kooning drawings and watercolor paintings, so small editions measuring 19 inches across are available. Customers who are interested in this artist might also find the work of Sam Francis, Hans Hofmann, and Joseph Glasco. Willem de Kooning drawings and watercolor paintings prices can differ depending upon medium, time period and other attributes. On 1stDibs, the price for these items starts at $90,000 and tops out at $90,000, while the average work can sell for $90,000.
Questions About Willem de Kooning Drawings and Watercolor Paintings
  • 1stDibs ExpertSeptember 16, 2024
    Interchange by Willem de Kooning is likely worth at least $300 million. That's how much the painting sold for through a private sale in 2015. De Kooning produced the painting in 1955 and sold it for just $5,000. The piece is an abstract landscape that uses bold colors, characteristic of his work in the Abstract Expressionist style. On 1stDibs, find a range of Willem de Kooning art.

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