Willem De Kooning

In 1926 22 year - old Dutchman Willem de Kooning (1904 – 1997) travelled to the USA on a British freighter – without papers and hidden in the machine room. The young art student eked out a living by painting houses, signs and façades, before he was able aft er eight years to dedicate himself entirely to painting. In the United States he established contacts with the art scene and forged friendships with artists such as Arshile Gorky, Franz Kline, Clifford Still, Jackson Pollock, and Mark Rothko. Today De Ko oning belongs to the outstanding painters of Abstract Expressionism and together with Jackson Pollock is regarded as a pioneer of Action Painting. This publication vividly examines De Kooning’s life, marked by self - doubts, successes, new beginnings, excess es, and scandalous paintings, as well as the evolution of his artistic work. In addition, author Corinna Thierolf opens up exciting perspectives on De Kooning’s work by revealing entirely new, surprising relationships with the works of fellow artists such as Franz Marc, Piet Mondrian, or Wassily Kandinsky.

A fascinating examination of a formative time in the iconic artist's career In 1948, Willem de Kooning held his first solo exhibition, at age forty-four, at the Charles Egan Gallery in New York City. Willem de Kooning: The Breakthrough Years explores how the painter developed his distinctive style in the period leading up to the show, blending figuration with abstraction and experimenting with materials such as enamel paint, cardboard, and Masonite. This beautifully illustrated book features illuminating essays by John Elderfield and Mitra Abbaspour, who closely consider de Kooning's work during this time, the environment and influences that surrounded him, and the impact of the 1948 exhibition on both his career and the New York School. Lee Col?n's detailed chronology provides invaluable context for the exhibition while Jim Coddington and Bart Devolder's material study of Black Friday --a painting included in the 1948 exhibition--offers vital perspective on the painter's working methods. Featuring paintings and drawings made by the artist between 1945 and 1950 as well as important primary source material, this book sheds critical light on a prolific and formative period in the life and career of an incomparable artist. Exhibition Schedule Princeton University Art Museum, Princeton March 14-July 26, 2026 Distributed for the Princeton University Art Museum

A fascinating examination of a formative time in the iconic artist's career In 1948, Willem de Kooning held his first solo exhibition, at age forty-four, at the Charles Egan Gallery in New York City. Willem de Kooning: The Breakthrough Years explores how the painter developed his distinctive style in the period leading up to the show, blending figuration with abstraction and experimenting with materials such as enamel paint, cardboard, and Masonite. This beautifully illustrated book features illuminating essays by John Elderfield and Mitra Abbaspour, who closely consider de Kooning's work during this time, the environment and influences that surrounded him, and the impact of the 1948 exhibition on both his career and the New York School. Lee Col?n's detailed chronology provides invaluable context for the exhibition while Jim Coddington and Bart Devolder's material study of Black Friday --a painting included in the 1948 exhibition--offers vital perspective on the painter's working methods. Featuring paintings and drawings made by the artist between 1945 and 1950 as well as important primary source material, this book sheds critical light on a prolific and formative period in the life and career of an incomparable artist. Exhibition Schedule Princeton University Art Museum, Princeton March 14-July 26, 2026 Distributed for the Princeton University Art Museum