Willem de Kooning

1904 – 1997

Willem de Kooning was a Dutch-American Abstract Expressionist painter and a central figure of the New York School in the post–World War II era. His Woman series, beginning with Woman I (1950–1952), and his subsequent gestural landscapes redefined the possibilities of figurative painting within the Abstract Expressionist movement. He continued producing major work into his 80s and was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by Ronald Reagan in 1986.

Last checked: May 10, 2026, 1:06 PM