Willem De KOONING (1904-1997)
Except otherwise stated, all results include the premium.
See also : Abstract art II Sculpture by painters
Chronology : 1947 1950-1959 1950 1955 1970-1979 1972 1975 1976 1977 1979
See also : Abstract art II Sculpture by painters
Chronology : 1947 1950-1959 1950 1955 1970-1979 1972 1975 1976 1977 1979
Willem de Kooning (1904–1997) stands as a towering figure in Abstract Expressionism, celebrated for his explosive gestural brushwork that fused raw energy, figuration, and abstraction—often drawing from personal turmoil, including childhood trauma, turbulent relationships, alcoholism, and late-life Alzheimer's. His market has surged in recent decades, with large 1970s abstractions commanding the highest prices, reflecting collectors' embrace of his mature, luminous style as a pinnacle of post-war American art. This page spotlights his top 10 auction records (public sales, buyer's premium included), tracing an overarching theme of artistic evolution and market redemption: from experimental black-and-white works and confrontational Women (1940s–1950s) that shocked critics, through a sculptural interlude and colorful East Hampton-inspired revivals (1970s), to serene late ribbons produced amid illness. Prices have climbed dramatically since the 2010s, with 1970s Untitleds repeatedly setting benchmarks amid a broader Abstract Expressionism boom.
See the early breakthrough in Orestes (section below), the Woman series context in the 1950-1953 Woman Series special report, mid-career landscape-fusion in Woman as Landscape, sculptural shift in Clamdigger, and peak late abstractions starting with the 1977 Untitled Intro and records like Untitled XXV. For related context, explore de Kooning's chronology links (e.g., 1947, decade-1950-1959, 1970s) and cross-references to Abstract art II or Sculpture by painters.
See the early breakthrough in Orestes (section below), the Woman series context in the 1950-1953 Woman Series special report, mid-career landscape-fusion in Woman as Landscape, sculptural shift in Clamdigger, and peak late abstractions starting with the 1977 Untitled Intro and records like Untitled XXV. For related context, explore de Kooning's chronology links (e.g., 1947, decade-1950-1959, 1970s) and cross-references to Abstract art II or Sculpture by painters.
Intro
Willem de Kooning (1904–1997), a Dutch-American Abstract Expressionist, is renowned for his turbulent, gestural paintings that blend figuration and abstraction. Psychological interpretations of his life and art often highlight early trauma, chronic alcoholism, ambivalent relationships with women, and late-life dementia, which profoundly influenced his creative output.
Early Life and Psychological Foundations
De Kooning's childhood in Rotterdam was marked by instability: his parents divorced when he was three, and he lived with his domineering, physically abusive mother, Cornelia Nobel, who ran a bar and exhibited volatile behavior. Biographers describe this as a period of neglect and violence, fostering deep-seated ambivalence toward maternal figures. This trauma is frequently linked psychoanalytically to his later obsessions, manifesting in repetitive, aggressive depictions of women that suggest unresolved attachment issues and a repetition compulsion—re-enacting early conflicts through art.
The Woman Series (1950s): Ambivalence and Aggression
De Kooning's most psychologically charged works are the Woman series, particularly Woman I (1950–1952), painted over two agonizing years with numerous revisions. These figures are grotesque yet seductive: bulging eyes, toothy grins, exaggerated breasts, and slashing brushstrokes convey raw aggression and eroticism.
Psychoanalytic readings interpret them as expressions of fear, desire, and rage toward women, rooted in his mother's dominance and his turbulent marriage to artist Elaine de Kooning (an open relationship marked by infidelity and separation). The paintings reflect post-war gender anxieties and personal turmoil, with the female form both idolized and violently distorted—suggesting a battle between attraction and repulsion.
Alcoholism and Mid-Career Struggles
De Kooning's heavy drinking, legendary in the Cedar Tavern scene of 1950s New York, led to blackouts, health decline, and contributed to his separation from Elaine in 1957 (they reunited later). Alcohol likely exacerbated mood swings and existential restlessness, fueling the desperate energy of his gestural style. His work often embodied a "melodrama of vulgarity," as he described it, reflecting inner chaos.
Late Period (1980s): Dementia and Simplified Serenity
In his 80s, after quitting alcohol in the late 1970s, de Kooning was diagnosed with probable Alzheimer's disease (symptoms evident from the late 1970s; severe by 1989). He continued painting until 1990–1991, producing over 300 works with assistants' help. These late paintings feature ribbon-like forms, luminous colors, and reduced complexity—airy, lyrical, and less dense than earlier works.
Debate persists: some view them as decline (simplification due to cognitive loss, with fractal analysis of brushstrokes showing early signs of neurodegeneration from his 40s). Others see a deliberate evolution or preserved procedural memory allowing authentic creation despite semantic deficits—a phenomenon termed "creating in the midst of dementia." The works evoke serenity, contrasting his earlier anguish.
De Kooning's art can be seen as a lifelong psychic excavation: aggressive early-mid works externalize trauma and ambivalence, while late ones suggest resolution or neurological simplification. His process—endless reworking, glimpses of the unconscious—mirrors psychoanalytic exploration, making his oeuvre a vivid case study in creativity amid psychological adversity.
Early Life and Psychological Foundations
De Kooning's childhood in Rotterdam was marked by instability: his parents divorced when he was three, and he lived with his domineering, physically abusive mother, Cornelia Nobel, who ran a bar and exhibited volatile behavior. Biographers describe this as a period of neglect and violence, fostering deep-seated ambivalence toward maternal figures. This trauma is frequently linked psychoanalytically to his later obsessions, manifesting in repetitive, aggressive depictions of women that suggest unresolved attachment issues and a repetition compulsion—re-enacting early conflicts through art.
The Woman Series (1950s): Ambivalence and Aggression
De Kooning's most psychologically charged works are the Woman series, particularly Woman I (1950–1952), painted over two agonizing years with numerous revisions. These figures are grotesque yet seductive: bulging eyes, toothy grins, exaggerated breasts, and slashing brushstrokes convey raw aggression and eroticism.
Psychoanalytic readings interpret them as expressions of fear, desire, and rage toward women, rooted in his mother's dominance and his turbulent marriage to artist Elaine de Kooning (an open relationship marked by infidelity and separation). The paintings reflect post-war gender anxieties and personal turmoil, with the female form both idolized and violently distorted—suggesting a battle between attraction and repulsion.
Alcoholism and Mid-Career Struggles
De Kooning's heavy drinking, legendary in the Cedar Tavern scene of 1950s New York, led to blackouts, health decline, and contributed to his separation from Elaine in 1957 (they reunited later). Alcohol likely exacerbated mood swings and existential restlessness, fueling the desperate energy of his gestural style. His work often embodied a "melodrama of vulgarity," as he described it, reflecting inner chaos.
Late Period (1980s): Dementia and Simplified Serenity
In his 80s, after quitting alcohol in the late 1970s, de Kooning was diagnosed with probable Alzheimer's disease (symptoms evident from the late 1970s; severe by 1989). He continued painting until 1990–1991, producing over 300 works with assistants' help. These late paintings feature ribbon-like forms, luminous colors, and reduced complexity—airy, lyrical, and less dense than earlier works.
Debate persists: some view them as decline (simplification due to cognitive loss, with fractal analysis of brushstrokes showing early signs of neurodegeneration from his 40s). Others see a deliberate evolution or preserved procedural memory allowing authentic creation despite semantic deficits—a phenomenon termed "creating in the midst of dementia." The works evoke serenity, contrasting his earlier anguish.
De Kooning's art can be seen as a lifelong psychic excavation: aggressive early-mid works externalize trauma and ambivalence, while late ones suggest resolution or neurological simplification. His process—endless reworking, glimpses of the unconscious—mirrors psychoanalytic exploration, making his oeuvre a vivid case study in creativity amid psychological adversity.
1947 Orestes
2023 SOLD for $ 31M by Christie's
In New York City, beside his fellow artist Gorky, Willem de Kooning managed to remove the border between figuration and abstraction by new studies of the balance of forms. In 1947 he desired to go to full abstraction.
During a very short experimental period he painted in black and white, leaving the forms away from the influences of colors. He was thus coming closer to Pollock's under-paintings than to Gorky. He was certainly influencing Kline's semi-automatic paintings.
Orestes is an oil, housepainter's enamel and collage on paper mounted on board 61 x 92 cm. De Kooning did not explain his titles but this one looks existentialist or psychoanalytical, by reference to the antique matricide. These amorphous forms abandoning perspective, volume and shading were indeed an emanation from the mind of an artist. These sign-like figures anticipate both Twombly's pseudo-writing and Johns's erased letterings.
Orestes was sold for $ 31M by Christie's on May 12, 2023, lot 16A.
De Kooning did not forget his humble artistic beginnings. He was to change his style and home but never parted from his two obsoleted enamel cans.
Arshile Gorky's influence on Willem de Kooning was profound and multifaceted, shaping de Kooning's development as one of the leading figures in Abstract Expressionism. Gorky, an Armenian-American painter (1904–1948), is often regarded as a crucial bridge between European modernism (particularly Surrealism and Cubism) and the emerging American movement of the 1940s–1950s. De Kooning himself described Gorky as a mentor and "a Geiger counter of art," highlighting his extraordinary intuitive grasp of painting.
Personal Relationship and Mentorship
De Kooning met Gorky in the 1930s while both worked on WPA (Works Progress Administration) projects in New York. As immigrants (de Kooning from the Netherlands, Gorky from Armenia), they bonded quickly. De Kooning recalled: "I met a lot of artists – but then I met Gorky... He had an extraordinary gift for hitting the nail on the head; remarkable. So I immediately attached myself to him and we became very good friends." Gorky served as a guiding figure, sharing deep knowledge of art history—from Cézanne and Picasso to Miró and Masson—which de Kooning absorbed. Their friendship extended to shared studios, discussions at places like the Cedar Tavern, and mutual encouragement during the formative years of the New York School.
Artistic Influence
Gorky's impact is evident in several key areas:
Gorky is hailed as a seminal influence on the entire movement, alongside figures like Pollock and Rothko. His late works (e.g., The Liver is the Cock’s Comb (1944), The Betrothal II (1947)) prefigured the scale, emotional intensity, and freedom of Abstract Expressionism. De Kooning acknowledged this legacy, and scholars often describe Gorky as the "last Surrealist and the first Abstract Expressionist." For de Kooning specifically, Gorky's example helped solidify his maturation in the 1930s and informed his oscillation between abstraction and figuration throughout his career.
In summary, Gorky's influence was both technical (biomorphic fluidity, gestural freedom) and philosophical (personal authenticity, deep art-historical engagement). De Kooning's early attachment to Gorky provided a foundation that propelled his own innovations, making their connection one of the most significant mentor-protégé relationships in 20th-century American art.
During a very short experimental period he painted in black and white, leaving the forms away from the influences of colors. He was thus coming closer to Pollock's under-paintings than to Gorky. He was certainly influencing Kline's semi-automatic paintings.
Orestes is an oil, housepainter's enamel and collage on paper mounted on board 61 x 92 cm. De Kooning did not explain his titles but this one looks existentialist or psychoanalytical, by reference to the antique matricide. These amorphous forms abandoning perspective, volume and shading were indeed an emanation from the mind of an artist. These sign-like figures anticipate both Twombly's pseudo-writing and Johns's erased letterings.
Orestes was sold for $ 31M by Christie's on May 12, 2023, lot 16A.
De Kooning did not forget his humble artistic beginnings. He was to change his style and home but never parted from his two obsoleted enamel cans.
Arshile Gorky's influence on Willem de Kooning was profound and multifaceted, shaping de Kooning's development as one of the leading figures in Abstract Expressionism. Gorky, an Armenian-American painter (1904–1948), is often regarded as a crucial bridge between European modernism (particularly Surrealism and Cubism) and the emerging American movement of the 1940s–1950s. De Kooning himself described Gorky as a mentor and "a Geiger counter of art," highlighting his extraordinary intuitive grasp of painting.
Personal Relationship and Mentorship
De Kooning met Gorky in the 1930s while both worked on WPA (Works Progress Administration) projects in New York. As immigrants (de Kooning from the Netherlands, Gorky from Armenia), they bonded quickly. De Kooning recalled: "I met a lot of artists – but then I met Gorky... He had an extraordinary gift for hitting the nail on the head; remarkable. So I immediately attached myself to him and we became very good friends." Gorky served as a guiding figure, sharing deep knowledge of art history—from Cézanne and Picasso to Miró and Masson—which de Kooning absorbed. Their friendship extended to shared studios, discussions at places like the Cedar Tavern, and mutual encouragement during the formative years of the New York School.
Artistic Influence
Gorky's impact is evident in several key areas:
- Blending Figuration and Abstraction: Gorky spent years assimilating European styles before developing his mature lyrical abstractions around 1942–1947, featuring fluid biomorphic forms (organic, amoeba-like shapes inspired by Surrealism), expressive line work, vibrant yet atmospheric colors, and a sense of emotional depth drawn from personal memory and the subconscious. De Kooning followed a similar path: he too grappled with Cubism and Surrealism before arriving at his own voice. In the late 1930s and 1940s, de Kooning's works show echoes of Gorky's biomorphic fluidity and emphasis on autonomous line, form, and color as expressive tools rather than rigid geometry.
- Expressive Brushwork and Process: Gorky's improvisational, emotive handling of paint—often layering, scraping, and allowing forms to emerge organically—influenced de Kooning's dynamic, gestural technique. This is particularly clear in de Kooning's transitional works of 1946–1947 and his breakthrough Woman series (1950–1953). As noted on the arthitparade.net page (in the Special Report section), de Kooning was "fundamentally an abstract painter, strongly influenced by Arshile Gorky." His return to the figure in the Woman paintings—using "violent, offsetting brushstrokes" to push forms out of abstraction and into visceral flesh—can be seen as a deliberate inversion or extension of Gorky's methods, countering Cubist deconstruction with raw, expressive energy.
- Rejection of Dogma and Emphasis on Personal Expression: Both artists resisted rigid schools or trends. Gorky's self-taught, eclectic approach—empathizing deeply with past masters to forge something new—inspired de Kooning's lifelong insistence that art should not conform to prescribed styles. De Kooning valued Gorky's natural intuition over theoretical constraints.
Gorky is hailed as a seminal influence on the entire movement, alongside figures like Pollock and Rothko. His late works (e.g., The Liver is the Cock’s Comb (1944), The Betrothal II (1947)) prefigured the scale, emotional intensity, and freedom of Abstract Expressionism. De Kooning acknowledged this legacy, and scholars often describe Gorky as the "last Surrealist and the first Abstract Expressionist." For de Kooning specifically, Gorky's example helped solidify his maturation in the 1930s and informed his oscillation between abstraction and figuration throughout his career.
In summary, Gorky's influence was both technical (biomorphic fluidity, gestural freedom) and philosophical (personal authenticity, deep art-historical engagement). De Kooning's early attachment to Gorky provided a foundation that propelled his own innovations, making their connection one of the most significant mentor-protégé relationships in 20th-century American art.
1950 Collage
2022 SOLD for $ 33.6M by Sotheby's
The Cubist artists desired to emulate an illusion of depth on a flat surface. For that purpose, they deconstructed the surface and used collages. A Dutchman living in New York, Willem de Kooning is inspired by these European trends and techniques.
De Kooning met Pollock in 1942. Both artists were considering that the construction of an artwork influenced the visual effect. While Pollock manages to progressively hide preliminary drawings behind his drippings, de Kooning sometimes considered as finished works the collages that he was using to conceive the visual effects of his paintings.
A work simply titled Collage executed in 1950 by de Kooning is made of overlapping collages in bright oil and lacquer paints with some silver thumbtacks on paper 56 x 72 cm.
The artist remains obsessed with the representation of the female form, which the viewer will search within this mingled picture. The same game applied more easily on Abstraction, an oil, enamel and charcoal on card 62 x 83 cm painted ca 1949, sold for $ 19.7M by Sotheby's on November 13, 2012, lot 13. These experimental works are direct predecessors to the Woman I, completed in 1952.
After 70 years in the David W. Solinger collection, Collage was sold for $ 33.6M from a lower estimate of $ 18M by Sotheby's on November 14, 2022, lot 10. Please watch the video shared by the auction house.
De Kooning met Pollock in 1942. Both artists were considering that the construction of an artwork influenced the visual effect. While Pollock manages to progressively hide preliminary drawings behind his drippings, de Kooning sometimes considered as finished works the collages that he was using to conceive the visual effects of his paintings.
A work simply titled Collage executed in 1950 by de Kooning is made of overlapping collages in bright oil and lacquer paints with some silver thumbtacks on paper 56 x 72 cm.
The artist remains obsessed with the representation of the female form, which the viewer will search within this mingled picture. The same game applied more easily on Abstraction, an oil, enamel and charcoal on card 62 x 83 cm painted ca 1949, sold for $ 19.7M by Sotheby's on November 13, 2012, lot 13. These experimental works are direct predecessors to the Woman I, completed in 1952.
After 70 years in the David W. Solinger collection, Collage was sold for $ 33.6M from a lower estimate of $ 18M by Sotheby's on November 14, 2022, lot 10. Please watch the video shared by the auction house.
Special Report
1950-1953 Woman series
Willem de Kooning was fundamentally an abstract painter, strongly influenced by Arshile Gorky. Yet in his return to the figure—specifically woman and flesh—he created the opposite of Cubist deconstruction: here, forms emerge through violent, offsetting brushstrokes that push against abstraction.
The woman had been a major theme for de Kooning since his early experiments with Gorky, as he explored the boundary between figuration and abstraction. His third series of Women paintings (1950–1955) stands out as the most innovative. It reflects the artist's alternating periods of enthusiasm and discouragement.
De Kooning sought the eternal feminine archetype that has inspired artists since the prehistoric Venus figurines and stone idols. Rather than emphasizing delicate femininity, he portrayed fertility through a standing pose dominated by opulent breasts. The head becomes a minor, almost superfluous excrescence in this slightly bottom-up perspective. His drawing style echoes Synthetic Cubism.
The result ran directly counter to the dominant aesthetics of his era, even while employing an Expressionist approach to color. In 1953, one art critic remarked that de Kooning "had gone too far—but that is the only place to go."
This primal inspiration links ancient idols with the raw visions of modern naïve and outsider artists. Jean Dubuffet's Corps de Dames series (also begun in 1950), by the leading figure of Art Brut, presents a strikingly similar morphological view.
Completed in 1952, Woman I provoked scandal. Unlike Dubuffet's works, which carried a disturbing humor, de Kooning's new idol stands with an ugly, disturbingly realistic body—sharply contrasting the glamorous post-war pin-ups.
The intensely negative reactions only underscored the work's powerful emotional impact. De Kooning continued the series through Woman VI, along with numerous parallel studies and trials.
De Kooning's Woman I-VI series consists of six oil-on-canvas paintings created between 1950 and 1953, marking a pivotal return to figuration amid the dominance of abstraction in Abstract Expressionism. These works center on fragmented, often aggressive depictions of female figures, characterized by violent imagery, impulsive brushwork, and a sense of grotesque vitality that de Kooning described as "joyous."
The series evolved through numerous revisions, with de Kooning repeatedly scraping down and repainting canvases to build dense, layered surfaces. Exhibited at Sidney Janis Gallery in 1953, they sparked controversy for their raw, confrontational portrayal of women, blending eroticism with distortion.
Willem de Kooning's Woman I (1950–1952): Analysis
Woman I is the most iconic and debated work in Willem de Kooning's groundbreaking Woman series (1950–1953), a group of six large-scale oil-on-canvas paintings that marked his bold return to figuration amid the dominance of abstraction in post-war American art. Housed in the collection of the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York, the painting measures approximately 193 x 147 cm (76 x 58 inches) and was acquired by MoMA in 1953, shortly after its completion.
Visual Description and Technique
The central figure is a seated or enthroned woman, rendered in explosive, gestural brushstrokes that blend thick impasto with scraped and layered paint. Her body is fragmented and distorted: exaggerated, opulent breasts dominate the torso, framed by a pinkish bra-like form; wide, claw-like hands grip or gesture; massive, toothy grin reveals prominent teeth (sometimes described as "Chiclet teeth"); enormous, staring eyes with dark pupils pierce outward; and a small head topped with a band or hat-like element. The background is a chaotic field of vibrant colors—yellows, greens, reds, blues—applied in broad, sweeping marks that merge figure and ground. De Kooning worked on the canvas over two years, repeatedly scraping down and repainting layers (visible in the built-up texture and pentimenti), creating a sense of constant motion and struggle. This process embodies action painting, where the act of painting itself becomes visible and performative.
Key Interpretations and Themes
De Kooning described his approach with the famous quote: “Beauty becomes petulant to me. I like the grotesque. It’s more joyous.” Woman I embodies this preference for the grotesque as a source of vitality and humor rather than mere ugliness.
Woman I sparked intense reactions: MoMA's acquisition committee called it "quite frightening" but praised its "intense vitality" and color. It helped cement de Kooning's status in Abstract Expressionism while highlighting his independence. The series influenced later figurative painters and remains a touchstone for discussions on gender, psyche, and post-war masculinity.
In de Kooning's oeuvre, Woman I bridges his earlier abstractions and later luminous works—raw energy tamed over time. Its enduring power lies in this unresolved tension: joyous grotesque, archetypal yet personal, monstrous yet celebratory.For more, view MoMA's collection page or K
The woman had been a major theme for de Kooning since his early experiments with Gorky, as he explored the boundary between figuration and abstraction. His third series of Women paintings (1950–1955) stands out as the most innovative. It reflects the artist's alternating periods of enthusiasm and discouragement.
De Kooning sought the eternal feminine archetype that has inspired artists since the prehistoric Venus figurines and stone idols. Rather than emphasizing delicate femininity, he portrayed fertility through a standing pose dominated by opulent breasts. The head becomes a minor, almost superfluous excrescence in this slightly bottom-up perspective. His drawing style echoes Synthetic Cubism.
The result ran directly counter to the dominant aesthetics of his era, even while employing an Expressionist approach to color. In 1953, one art critic remarked that de Kooning "had gone too far—but that is the only place to go."
This primal inspiration links ancient idols with the raw visions of modern naïve and outsider artists. Jean Dubuffet's Corps de Dames series (also begun in 1950), by the leading figure of Art Brut, presents a strikingly similar morphological view.
Completed in 1952, Woman I provoked scandal. Unlike Dubuffet's works, which carried a disturbing humor, de Kooning's new idol stands with an ugly, disturbingly realistic body—sharply contrasting the glamorous post-war pin-ups.
The intensely negative reactions only underscored the work's powerful emotional impact. De Kooning continued the series through Woman VI, along with numerous parallel studies and trials.
De Kooning's Woman I-VI series consists of six oil-on-canvas paintings created between 1950 and 1953, marking a pivotal return to figuration amid the dominance of abstraction in Abstract Expressionism. These works center on fragmented, often aggressive depictions of female figures, characterized by violent imagery, impulsive brushwork, and a sense of grotesque vitality that de Kooning described as "joyous."
The series evolved through numerous revisions, with de Kooning repeatedly scraping down and repainting canvases to build dense, layered surfaces. Exhibited at Sidney Janis Gallery in 1953, they sparked controversy for their raw, confrontational portrayal of women, blending eroticism with distortion.
Willem de Kooning's Woman I (1950–1952): Analysis
Woman I is the most iconic and debated work in Willem de Kooning's groundbreaking Woman series (1950–1953), a group of six large-scale oil-on-canvas paintings that marked his bold return to figuration amid the dominance of abstraction in post-war American art. Housed in the collection of the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York, the painting measures approximately 193 x 147 cm (76 x 58 inches) and was acquired by MoMA in 1953, shortly after its completion.
Visual Description and Technique
The central figure is a seated or enthroned woman, rendered in explosive, gestural brushstrokes that blend thick impasto with scraped and layered paint. Her body is fragmented and distorted: exaggerated, opulent breasts dominate the torso, framed by a pinkish bra-like form; wide, claw-like hands grip or gesture; massive, toothy grin reveals prominent teeth (sometimes described as "Chiclet teeth"); enormous, staring eyes with dark pupils pierce outward; and a small head topped with a band or hat-like element. The background is a chaotic field of vibrant colors—yellows, greens, reds, blues—applied in broad, sweeping marks that merge figure and ground. De Kooning worked on the canvas over two years, repeatedly scraping down and repainting layers (visible in the built-up texture and pentimenti), creating a sense of constant motion and struggle. This process embodies action painting, where the act of painting itself becomes visible and performative.
Key Interpretations and Themes
De Kooning described his approach with the famous quote: “Beauty becomes petulant to me. I like the grotesque. It’s more joyous.” Woman I embodies this preference for the grotesque as a source of vitality and humor rather than mere ugliness.
- Archetypal and Primal Femininity: The figure draws from ancient precedents like Paleolithic Venus figurines (e.g., Venus of Willendorf), with their exaggerated fertility symbols (breasts, hips). De Kooning referenced the long history of female representation—"the idol, the Venus, the nude"—but subverted classical ideals of beauty into something raw, monstrous, and powerful. The seated pose echoes traditional Madonna imagery or enthroned goddesses, reimagined in a modern, secular context—sacred art brought into the profane 20th century.
- Psychological Ambivalence and Personal Turmoil: The woman is both seductive and terrifying—grinning ferociously yet vulnerable in her fragmentation. Interpretations often link this to de Kooning's inner conflicts: childhood trauma (abusive mother), turbulent relationships (including with wife Elaine, who posed early on), alcoholism, and fear/desire toward women. The violent brushwork suggests aggression, sexual frustration, or a "battle" between attraction and repulsion. Some see the grin as dual—pleasing yet menacing, echoing maternal terror or erotic allure.
- Misogyny Debate: Upon exhibition (e.g., at Sidney Janis Gallery in 1953), the series shocked viewers and drew accusations of misogyny. Critics and feminists (especially in the 1960s–1970s) interpreted the distortions, colliding strokes, and monstrous forms as violent assaults on the female body—objectifying, eviscerating, and reducing women to breasts, teeth, and fragmented parts. De Kooning denied direct misogyny, insisting the works were about painting and emotion ("drama, anger, pain, love"), not literal hatred. Defenders argue it externalizes universal ambivalence toward the feminine, blending reverence and fear.
- Abstraction vs. Figuration Tension: In an era when abstraction (Pollock, Rothko) reigned, de Kooning's figural return was seen by some (like critic Clement Greenberg) as regressive. Yet the figure dissolves into abstract marks—body merges with canvas plane, refusing clear separation. This hybrid challenges binaries, showing abstraction and representation as fluid.
Woman I sparked intense reactions: MoMA's acquisition committee called it "quite frightening" but praised its "intense vitality" and color. It helped cement de Kooning's status in Abstract Expressionism while highlighting his independence. The series influenced later figurative painters and remains a touchstone for discussions on gender, psyche, and post-war masculinity.
In de Kooning's oeuvre, Woman I bridges his earlier abstractions and later luminous works—raw energy tamed over time. Its enduring power lies in this unresolved tension: joyous grotesque, archetypal yet personal, monstrous yet celebratory.For more, view MoMA's collection page or K
Compare Gorky's biomorphic forms to de Kooning's Woman series
Arshile Gorky's biomorphic forms and Willem de Kooning's Woman series (primarily 1950–1953) represent two pivotal yet contrasting approaches within the evolution of Abstract Expressionism. Gorky's biomorphism is rooted in Surrealist inspiration and lyrical abstraction, while de Kooning's Woman paintings aggressively reintroduce the human figure into abstraction, often with violent, gestural energy. Gorky's influence on de Kooning is clear—especially in the fluid, organic shapes and expressive handling of paint—but de Kooning transforms these elements into something more confrontational and figurative.
Gorky's Biomorphic Forms
Gorky's mature style (roughly 1940s, e.g., The Liver Is the Cock's Comb of 1944) features biomorphic shapes: soft, organic, amoeba-like or plant/animal-inspired forms that evoke the subconscious, nature, memory, and sexuality. Influenced by Joan Miró, Roberto Matta, and Surrealist automatism, these forms are hybrid, fluid, and calligraphic—often layered in dreamlike compositions with thin, delicate lines, translucent colors, and a sense of floating or emerging imagery.
These works feel poetic and atmospheric: biomorphs suggest breasts, petals, organs, or landscapes without explicit representation, creating cryptic, evocative scenes. The space is open and spare, with forms drifting in ethereal fields, blending Cubist structure with Surrealist fantasy.
De Kooning's Woman Series
De Kooning's Woman paintings (e.g., Woman I, 1950–52) explode with raw, visceral energy. The female figure is distorted, fragmented, and monstrous—exaggerated breasts, toothy grins, glaring eyes—built through thick, slashing brushstrokes, scraped paint, and aggressive layering. The biomorphic influence appears in the bulging, fleshy shapes and organic distortions, but these are anchored to a recognizable (if grotesque) human body in a frontal, confrontational pose.
The series inverts Gorky's subtlety: de Kooning pushes abstraction toward figuration rather than away from it, using violent offsets and "fate"-driven gestures to make the figure emerge from chaos. The result is primal, erotic, and ambivalent—mixing attraction, fear, and humor—contrasting the glamorous media images of post-war women.
Key Comparisons
Arshile Gorky's biomorphic forms and Willem de Kooning's Woman series (primarily 1950–1953) represent two pivotal yet contrasting approaches within the evolution of Abstract Expressionism. Gorky's biomorphism is rooted in Surrealist inspiration and lyrical abstraction, while de Kooning's Woman paintings aggressively reintroduce the human figure into abstraction, often with violent, gestural energy. Gorky's influence on de Kooning is clear—especially in the fluid, organic shapes and expressive handling of paint—but de Kooning transforms these elements into something more confrontational and figurative.
Gorky's Biomorphic Forms
Gorky's mature style (roughly 1940s, e.g., The Liver Is the Cock's Comb of 1944) features biomorphic shapes: soft, organic, amoeba-like or plant/animal-inspired forms that evoke the subconscious, nature, memory, and sexuality. Influenced by Joan Miró, Roberto Matta, and Surrealist automatism, these forms are hybrid, fluid, and calligraphic—often layered in dreamlike compositions with thin, delicate lines, translucent colors, and a sense of floating or emerging imagery.
These works feel poetic and atmospheric: biomorphs suggest breasts, petals, organs, or landscapes without explicit representation, creating cryptic, evocative scenes. The space is open and spare, with forms drifting in ethereal fields, blending Cubist structure with Surrealist fantasy.
De Kooning's Woman Series
De Kooning's Woman paintings (e.g., Woman I, 1950–52) explode with raw, visceral energy. The female figure is distorted, fragmented, and monstrous—exaggerated breasts, toothy grins, glaring eyes—built through thick, slashing brushstrokes, scraped paint, and aggressive layering. The biomorphic influence appears in the bulging, fleshy shapes and organic distortions, but these are anchored to a recognizable (if grotesque) human body in a frontal, confrontational pose.
The series inverts Gorky's subtlety: de Kooning pushes abstraction toward figuration rather than away from it, using violent offsets and "fate"-driven gestures to make the figure emerge from chaos. The result is primal, erotic, and ambivalent—mixing attraction, fear, and humor—contrasting the glamorous media images of post-war women.
Key Comparisons
- Form and Shape
Gorky: Fluid, hybrid biomorphs that are fully abstract yet suggestive of natural/sexual elements (e.g., petals as breasts).
De Kooning: Biomorphic distortions applied to a human figure—breasts and hips become exaggerated, bulbous forms, but grounded in anatomy. - Space and Composition
Gorky: Open, floating, dreamlike space with spare elegance.
De Kooning: Dense, crowded, all-over energy; the figure fills and disrupts the canvas with gestural force. - Tone and Emotion
Gorky: Lyrical, mystical, nostalgic—evoking inner worlds and nature.
De Kooning: Grotesque, joyous in its ugliness, aggressive—confronting the viewer with raw femininity and psychological tension. - Influence and Transformation
De Kooning absorbed Gorky's biomorphic fluidity and expressive line (seen in de Kooning's own 1940s abstractions like Pink Angels or Fire Island), but in the Woman series, he inverts it: where Gorky dissolves the figure into abstraction, de Kooning violently reconstructs it from abstraction. This "return to the figure" defied the era's pure-abstraction orthodoxy, extending Gorky's bridge between Surrealism and Abstract Expressionism into a more embodied, confrontational direction.
Influence of Paleolithic Idols on Willem de Kooning
Willem de Kooning drew significant inspiration from Paleolithic idols, particularly the prehistoric Venus figurines (also called fertility idols or fetishes), which date back to the Upper Paleolithic era (roughly 40,000–10,000 years ago). These small stone, ivory, or clay statuettes—most famously the Venus of Willendorf (c. 25,000 BCE)—feature exaggerated female forms: enormous breasts, hips, and bellies symbolizing fertility, abundance, and survival in harsh prehistoric conditions. De Kooning referenced these ancient archetypes as part of his lifelong fascination with the "eternal feminine," viewing them as primal, timeless representations of womanhood that transcended cultural eras.
Key Connections to de Kooning's Work
De Kooning explicitly linked his depictions of women to this ancient tradition, summarizing the history of female representation as "the idol, the Venus, the nude" (a quote frequently cited in analyses of his work, including MoMA's commentary on Woman I). He both alluded to and subverted these conventions, blending reverence with distortion to reflect personal ambivalence, post-war gender anxieties, and psychological turmoil.
De Kooning's engagement with Paleolithic idols aligned with mid-20th-century modernist interest in "primitive" art (e.g., via Picasso, Moore, or Giacometti), but he used it psychologically: the idols' exaggerated forms helped externalize inner conflicts—attraction vs. repulsion, fear vs. desire—tied to his biography (childhood trauma, relationships). Critics note this created a "battle" dynamic in the figures, idolizing yet violently distorting them. Unlike purely celebratory views of fertility symbols, de Kooning's versions shocked contemporaries, sparking debates on misogyny vs. primal archetype exploration.
This influence persisted subtly into later works (e.g., landscape-fused abstractions), reinforcing his theme of eternal feminine archetypes inspiring artists "since the prehistoric Venus figurines and stone idols." It contributed to his market legacy, with Woman-series pieces (and evolutions like Woman as Landscape) achieving top auction records amid renewed appreciation for his fusion of ancient and modern.
Typical Paleolithic idols like the Venus of Willendorf show compact, exaggerated fertility features that parallel de Kooning's opulent, distorted women.
Willem de Kooning drew significant inspiration from Paleolithic idols, particularly the prehistoric Venus figurines (also called fertility idols or fetishes), which date back to the Upper Paleolithic era (roughly 40,000–10,000 years ago). These small stone, ivory, or clay statuettes—most famously the Venus of Willendorf (c. 25,000 BCE)—feature exaggerated female forms: enormous breasts, hips, and bellies symbolizing fertility, abundance, and survival in harsh prehistoric conditions. De Kooning referenced these ancient archetypes as part of his lifelong fascination with the "eternal feminine," viewing them as primal, timeless representations of womanhood that transcended cultural eras.
Key Connections to de Kooning's Work
De Kooning explicitly linked his depictions of women to this ancient tradition, summarizing the history of female representation as "the idol, the Venus, the nude" (a quote frequently cited in analyses of his work, including MoMA's commentary on Woman I). He both alluded to and subverted these conventions, blending reverence with distortion to reflect personal ambivalence, post-war gender anxieties, and psychological turmoil.
- Woman Series (1950–1953, especially Woman I–VI): The most direct influence appears here. De Kooning's figures feature opulent, exaggerated breasts and rounded, fertile bodies that echo Paleolithic statuettes' emphasis on fertility symbols. Rather than delicate or idealized femininity (as in classical Venuses or Renaissance nudes), he portrayed a standing, bottom-up perspective where the head becomes minor or "superfluous," prioritizing primal, voluptuous forms. Sources describe his ideal woman as a "synthesis between the opulent Paleolithic statuettes of fertility and a grotesque vixen of modern time," merging ancient reverence with contemporary aggression or eroticism. Influences ranged from these prehistoric fetishes to modern sources like billboard pin-ups, creating hybrid figures that convey both vengeful goddess power and seductive hollowness.
- Woman as Landscape (1955): This transitional piece extends the motif, merging the female form seamlessly with landscape elements (blue sky-like backgrounds, green earth tones). The voluptuous, fertile body integrates with nature, evoking Paleolithic idols' symbolic ties to abundance and earth-mother archetypes. De Kooning's radical reinvention of the nude tradition—dating back to the Venus of Willendorf—treats the female figure as a "panorama squeezed together," with arms like lanes and body like hills, while retaining echoes of prehistoric fertility emphasis.
De Kooning's engagement with Paleolithic idols aligned with mid-20th-century modernist interest in "primitive" art (e.g., via Picasso, Moore, or Giacometti), but he used it psychologically: the idols' exaggerated forms helped externalize inner conflicts—attraction vs. repulsion, fear vs. desire—tied to his biography (childhood trauma, relationships). Critics note this created a "battle" dynamic in the figures, idolizing yet violently distorting them. Unlike purely celebratory views of fertility symbols, de Kooning's versions shocked contemporaries, sparking debates on misogyny vs. primal archetype exploration.
This influence persisted subtly into later works (e.g., landscape-fused abstractions), reinforcing his theme of eternal feminine archetypes inspiring artists "since the prehistoric Venus figurines and stone idols." It contributed to his market legacy, with Woman-series pieces (and evolutions like Woman as Landscape) achieving top auction records amid renewed appreciation for his fusion of ancient and modern.
Typical Paleolithic idols like the Venus of Willendorf show compact, exaggerated fertility features that parallel de Kooning's opulent, distorted women.
1955 Woman as Landscape
2018 SOLD for $ 69M by Christie's
Close to the avant-gardes in New York, Willem de Kooning nevertheless does not want his art to be assimilated with any school. He understood, as Miro before him, that it is to the viewer to identify the subject of the work, and the ambiguity in the interpretation generates emotion.
For him, woman is an obsessive and ambiguous theme. In 1950 he begins painting a larger-than-life woman on a canvas 197 x 147 cm. He reworks it for months with his brushes and his knives and considers it as finished in June 1952 thanks to the intervention of a friend.
His characters are figurative but excessively misshapen and grotesque. Color prevails over form. He said : "Flesh is the reason oil paint was invented".
In late 1952 and in 1953 he makes new versions of his woman. This ideal woman is a synthesis between the opulent Paleolithic statuettes of fertility and a grotesque vixen of modern time. The spectators see in that 'Woman' series the expression at best of an annoyance, at worst of an aggressive sexual impulse, in a feverish brush work. Woman III was sold for $ 137.5M in 2006 in a private sale.
This task resulted in the side-by-side exhibition of six paintings titled Woman I to Woman VI. They are standing in similar frontal positions. The bright and varied colors of the clothes could simulate according to the artist the evolution of the fashions. De Kooning demonstrates here that Action painting was not incompatible with a figurative theme.
I to VI are not the only artworks on this theme. This series did not include a Woman with Bicycle painted in 1952 in the same style but in a slightly different attitude. Oils on paper are made in smaller sizes.
De Kooning carries out new experiments in 1955. The drift of abstraction also generates the landscape, which can be entangled with the body of the woman.
Woman as Landscape, started in 1954, begins a new phase in de Kooning's desire to break down the boundaries between figurative themes. This 166 x 125 cm oil and charcoal on canvas completed in 1955 was sold for $ 69M by Christie's on November 13, 2018, lot 7 B.
The title is significant with 'as landscape' and not 'in landscape' to indicate that the artist is ready to mix the genres. The female figure merges seamlessly with landscape elements—a blue sky-like background and green ground—creating ambiguity between body and nature. Colors evoke the surrounding environment, with the woman's form suggested through fluid, gestural strokes rather than sharp delineation. This transitional work blends figuration and abstraction, softening the aggressive distortions of earlier Woman series pieces into a more integrated, erotic yet abstracted vision. It draws from Paleolithic fertility idols while anticipating de Kooning's full shift to landscape-inspired abstractions.
In the same year with Interchange, a bird's eye landscape remains perceptible, centered on a river. When the viewer realizes that the river has the shape of a female body, this painting considered as one of the very first examples of abstract landscape becomes a masterpiece of hidden erotic art, alongside Picasso's Le Rêve. Police Gazette is an abstract landscape in a vertical perspective.
Interchange, oil on canvas 200 x 175 cm, was sold for $ 20.7M by Sotheby's on November 8, 1989, the highest auction result at that time for a work by a living artist. A private transaction for $ 500M between two billionaires was announced in February 2016. It involved only two paintings. The piece of choice, whose contribution was announced at $ 300M in the press releases, was Interchange. The other item, thus worth $ 200M, was a 1948 dripping by Pollock numbered 17A.
At the end of the year he returns to abstract compositions in which his figurative intentions, when they exist, are intertwined and can only be deciphered by him.
Woman as Landscape, aka Woman as a Landscape, by de Kooning, sold by Christie's on November 13, 2018, lot 7 B. Compare with the whole range of the Woman I-VI series.
Willem de Kooning's "Woman as Landscape"
"Woman as Landscape" (1954-1955) is an oil and charcoal on canvas painting measuring 65 3/8 x 49 1/4 inches (166 x 125 cm), depicting a female figure that blends seamlessly with abstract landscape elements, such as blue skies and green earth tones, reflecting de Kooning's evolving interest in merging human forms with environmental motifs. The work features bold, gestural brushstrokes and a vibrant palette, with the woman's form emerging through layers of paint that suggest both eroticism and abstraction. Signed "de Kooning" in the lower left, it was completed in 1955 and represents a transitional phase in his career, moving beyond pure figuration toward more fluid, integrated compositions.
This piece has a notable provenance, including ownership by actor Steve Martin in the 1990s, and was part of the collection of luxury travel entrepreneur Barney A. Ebsworth before its sale. It achieved $68,937,500 at Christie's Post-War and Contemporary Art Evening Sale in New York on November 13, 2018 (Lot 7B), surpassing its $60-80 million estimate and setting an auction record for de Kooning at the time.
Comparison Between "Woman as Landscape" and the Woman I-VI Series
Both "Woman as Landscape" and the Woman I-VI series share de Kooning's signature Abstract Expressionist style, including vigorous, gestural brushstrokes, layered paint application, and a focus on the female form as a vehicle for exploring abstraction and representation. They reflect his fascination with the "grotesque" and erotic undertones, drawing from art historical precedents like the seated female figure or Madonna archetype while subverting them through distortion.
However, "Woman as Landscape" represents an evolution from the earlier series: created just after Woman I-VI, it integrates the figure more holistically with landscape elements, using colors like blues and greens to suggest environmental fusion rather than the confrontational isolation of the women in I-VI. The 1950-1953 works are more aggressive and "petulant," with stark, fragmented bodies, clashing hues, and a sense of violence—Woman I, for instance, features incised eyes and a toothy grimace that evoke menace.
In contrast, "Woman as Landscape" is softer and more fluid, with the figure "as" the landscape (not "in" it), indicating de Kooning's shift toward blending genres and a less hostile portrayal. The earlier series often feels confined and intense, while the later painting expands into a broader, more perceptual space, foreshadowing de Kooning's full embrace of landscape abstraction in the 1960s.
This progression highlights de Kooning's refusal to separate abstraction from figuration, using the woman motif to push boundaries across his oeuvre.
For him, woman is an obsessive and ambiguous theme. In 1950 he begins painting a larger-than-life woman on a canvas 197 x 147 cm. He reworks it for months with his brushes and his knives and considers it as finished in June 1952 thanks to the intervention of a friend.
His characters are figurative but excessively misshapen and grotesque. Color prevails over form. He said : "Flesh is the reason oil paint was invented".
In late 1952 and in 1953 he makes new versions of his woman. This ideal woman is a synthesis between the opulent Paleolithic statuettes of fertility and a grotesque vixen of modern time. The spectators see in that 'Woman' series the expression at best of an annoyance, at worst of an aggressive sexual impulse, in a feverish brush work. Woman III was sold for $ 137.5M in 2006 in a private sale.
This task resulted in the side-by-side exhibition of six paintings titled Woman I to Woman VI. They are standing in similar frontal positions. The bright and varied colors of the clothes could simulate according to the artist the evolution of the fashions. De Kooning demonstrates here that Action painting was not incompatible with a figurative theme.
I to VI are not the only artworks on this theme. This series did not include a Woman with Bicycle painted in 1952 in the same style but in a slightly different attitude. Oils on paper are made in smaller sizes.
De Kooning carries out new experiments in 1955. The drift of abstraction also generates the landscape, which can be entangled with the body of the woman.
Woman as Landscape, started in 1954, begins a new phase in de Kooning's desire to break down the boundaries between figurative themes. This 166 x 125 cm oil and charcoal on canvas completed in 1955 was sold for $ 69M by Christie's on November 13, 2018, lot 7 B.
The title is significant with 'as landscape' and not 'in landscape' to indicate that the artist is ready to mix the genres. The female figure merges seamlessly with landscape elements—a blue sky-like background and green ground—creating ambiguity between body and nature. Colors evoke the surrounding environment, with the woman's form suggested through fluid, gestural strokes rather than sharp delineation. This transitional work blends figuration and abstraction, softening the aggressive distortions of earlier Woman series pieces into a more integrated, erotic yet abstracted vision. It draws from Paleolithic fertility idols while anticipating de Kooning's full shift to landscape-inspired abstractions.
In the same year with Interchange, a bird's eye landscape remains perceptible, centered on a river. When the viewer realizes that the river has the shape of a female body, this painting considered as one of the very first examples of abstract landscape becomes a masterpiece of hidden erotic art, alongside Picasso's Le Rêve. Police Gazette is an abstract landscape in a vertical perspective.
Interchange, oil on canvas 200 x 175 cm, was sold for $ 20.7M by Sotheby's on November 8, 1989, the highest auction result at that time for a work by a living artist. A private transaction for $ 500M between two billionaires was announced in February 2016. It involved only two paintings. The piece of choice, whose contribution was announced at $ 300M in the press releases, was Interchange. The other item, thus worth $ 200M, was a 1948 dripping by Pollock numbered 17A.
At the end of the year he returns to abstract compositions in which his figurative intentions, when they exist, are intertwined and can only be deciphered by him.
Woman as Landscape, aka Woman as a Landscape, by de Kooning, sold by Christie's on November 13, 2018, lot 7 B. Compare with the whole range of the Woman I-VI series.
Willem de Kooning's "Woman as Landscape"
"Woman as Landscape" (1954-1955) is an oil and charcoal on canvas painting measuring 65 3/8 x 49 1/4 inches (166 x 125 cm), depicting a female figure that blends seamlessly with abstract landscape elements, such as blue skies and green earth tones, reflecting de Kooning's evolving interest in merging human forms with environmental motifs. The work features bold, gestural brushstrokes and a vibrant palette, with the woman's form emerging through layers of paint that suggest both eroticism and abstraction. Signed "de Kooning" in the lower left, it was completed in 1955 and represents a transitional phase in his career, moving beyond pure figuration toward more fluid, integrated compositions.
This piece has a notable provenance, including ownership by actor Steve Martin in the 1990s, and was part of the collection of luxury travel entrepreneur Barney A. Ebsworth before its sale. It achieved $68,937,500 at Christie's Post-War and Contemporary Art Evening Sale in New York on November 13, 2018 (Lot 7B), surpassing its $60-80 million estimate and setting an auction record for de Kooning at the time.
Comparison Between "Woman as Landscape" and the Woman I-VI Series
Both "Woman as Landscape" and the Woman I-VI series share de Kooning's signature Abstract Expressionist style, including vigorous, gestural brushstrokes, layered paint application, and a focus on the female form as a vehicle for exploring abstraction and representation. They reflect his fascination with the "grotesque" and erotic undertones, drawing from art historical precedents like the seated female figure or Madonna archetype while subverting them through distortion.
However, "Woman as Landscape" represents an evolution from the earlier series: created just after Woman I-VI, it integrates the figure more holistically with landscape elements, using colors like blues and greens to suggest environmental fusion rather than the confrontational isolation of the women in I-VI. The 1950-1953 works are more aggressive and "petulant," with stark, fragmented bodies, clashing hues, and a sense of violence—Woman I, for instance, features incised eyes and a toothy grimace that evoke menace.
In contrast, "Woman as Landscape" is softer and more fluid, with the figure "as" the landscape (not "in" it), indicating de Kooning's shift toward blending genres and a less hostile portrayal. The earlier series often feels confined and intense, while the later painting expands into a broader, more perceptual space, foreshadowing de Kooning's full embrace of landscape abstraction in the 1960s.
This progression highlights de Kooning's refusal to separate abstraction from figuration, using the woman motif to push boundaries across his oeuvre.
1972 Clamdigger
2014 SOLD for $ 29.3M by Christie's
Willem de Kooning was first of all a painter, of course. Refusing allegiance to any school and any tendency, his works suppressed the border between abstract and biomorphic, generating in the viewer some disorder that was sometimes difficult to characterize.
In 1969, de Kooning unexpectedly turned to sculpture during a Rome residency, influenced by Giacometti's elongated figures and the tactile freedom of clay—allowing endless reworking unlike paint on canvas.
Again like Giacometti, de Kooning's world is dominated by the figures of a man and a woman. Giacometti had the Homme qui marche and the Femme debout. De Kooning had the Clamdigger and the Seated Woman. De Kooning's expression of the relation between body and movement was lauded by Henry Moore.
The Clamdigger is searching in sand to extract the shells. The primordial male figure features exaggerated hands and feet, with a textured surface evoking waves, sea water, and primitive origins—possibly a self-portrait or creation symbol. His gesture gathers the symbols of creation: sea water, clay, primitive animal, man. It has even been suggested that the Clamdigger by de Kooning is a self-portrait. It marks a key interlude between figurative Women and later abstractions.
This sculpture 1.51 m high was edited in bronze in 1972 in seven copies plus three artist's proofs. On November 12, 2014, Christie's sold for $ 29.3M the artist's proof that de Kooning had installed at the entrance to his studio, lot 21. The statue had remained up to that sale with his descendants. Please watch the video shared by the auction house.
Made from a clay model and cast in 1974, two years after Clamdigger, the Large Torso taking the form of a sculpture from the Renaissance is an exception in the art of de Kooning. Nevertheless the details are abstract. For this artwork, the artist used gloves for a bolder 'action' gesture. Its size is 86 x 82 x 64 cm.The bronze 6/7 cast by the Modern Art Foundry New York was sold for $ 5.7M by Sotheby's on November 11, 2009, lot 14.
In 1980 de Kooning selected three of his 1969 sculptures for a bronze edition in monumental size. The Seated Woman 290 x 370 x 240 cm was made in seven units plus two artist's proofs. The 1/7 was sold for $ 8.2M by Christie's on May 12, 2022, lot 27C.
Clamdigger by de Kooning. Why did the artist shift from painting to sculpture ?
Willem de Kooning's "Clamdigger" (1972) is a bronze sculpture depicting a standing, primordial male figure with exaggerated extremities—such as oversized hands, feet, and genitalia—contrasted against slender arms and legs, and a small head that appears to sink into the body. The work evokes existential tension, drawing from modernist traditions like those of Auguste Rodin and Alberto Giacometti, while its dark, textured surface invites viewers to physically circle and explore its shifting forms. The title draws from de Kooning's observations of clam diggers working in the bright sunlight near his home in Springs, Long Island, reflecting the influence of his rural surroundings on his art during that period.
De Kooning's transition from painting to sculpture was largely accidental but represented a natural extension of his longstanding artistic concerns with the figure, space, and dynamic forms. In the summer of 1969, at age 65, he visited Rome and encountered an old friend, sculptor Herzl Emanuel, at a bronze foundry in Trastevere, who invited him to experiment with modeling clay. De Kooning was immediately drawn to the medium's slipperiness and malleability, which allowed for endless reworking and remolding—qualities he contrasted favorably with oil painting, where a canvas couldn't be fully reset after the first stroke. He reportedly said clay was "even better than oil" because "you can work and work on a painting but you can’t start over again with the canvas like it was before you put that first stroke down." During this trip, he created small clay figures, selecting 13 to be cast in bronze.
Back in New York, he was initially unenthusiastic about the results, but encouragement from British sculptor Henry Moore to enlarge them to monumental scale spurred him to continue, leading to larger works like "Clamdigger." This shift was also influenced by his exposure to the exuberant physicality of Baroque sculptures in Rome and his earlier move to Springs in the early 1960s, where the reflective waters and everyday activities around Long Island Sound inspired new explorations in three dimensions. Ultimately, sculpture allowed de Kooning to recapture the urgency and inventiveness of early Abstract Expressionism through physical engagement, sustaining his creative output into the 1970s despite his primary identity as a painter.
In 1969, de Kooning unexpectedly turned to sculpture during a Rome residency, influenced by Giacometti's elongated figures and the tactile freedom of clay—allowing endless reworking unlike paint on canvas.
Again like Giacometti, de Kooning's world is dominated by the figures of a man and a woman. Giacometti had the Homme qui marche and the Femme debout. De Kooning had the Clamdigger and the Seated Woman. De Kooning's expression of the relation between body and movement was lauded by Henry Moore.
The Clamdigger is searching in sand to extract the shells. The primordial male figure features exaggerated hands and feet, with a textured surface evoking waves, sea water, and primitive origins—possibly a self-portrait or creation symbol. His gesture gathers the symbols of creation: sea water, clay, primitive animal, man. It has even been suggested that the Clamdigger by de Kooning is a self-portrait. It marks a key interlude between figurative Women and later abstractions.
This sculpture 1.51 m high was edited in bronze in 1972 in seven copies plus three artist's proofs. On November 12, 2014, Christie's sold for $ 29.3M the artist's proof that de Kooning had installed at the entrance to his studio, lot 21. The statue had remained up to that sale with his descendants. Please watch the video shared by the auction house.
Made from a clay model and cast in 1974, two years after Clamdigger, the Large Torso taking the form of a sculpture from the Renaissance is an exception in the art of de Kooning. Nevertheless the details are abstract. For this artwork, the artist used gloves for a bolder 'action' gesture. Its size is 86 x 82 x 64 cm.The bronze 6/7 cast by the Modern Art Foundry New York was sold for $ 5.7M by Sotheby's on November 11, 2009, lot 14.
In 1980 de Kooning selected three of his 1969 sculptures for a bronze edition in monumental size. The Seated Woman 290 x 370 x 240 cm was made in seven units plus two artist's proofs. The 1/7 was sold for $ 8.2M by Christie's on May 12, 2022, lot 27C.
Clamdigger by de Kooning. Why did the artist shift from painting to sculpture ?
Willem de Kooning's "Clamdigger" (1972) is a bronze sculpture depicting a standing, primordial male figure with exaggerated extremities—such as oversized hands, feet, and genitalia—contrasted against slender arms and legs, and a small head that appears to sink into the body. The work evokes existential tension, drawing from modernist traditions like those of Auguste Rodin and Alberto Giacometti, while its dark, textured surface invites viewers to physically circle and explore its shifting forms. The title draws from de Kooning's observations of clam diggers working in the bright sunlight near his home in Springs, Long Island, reflecting the influence of his rural surroundings on his art during that period.
De Kooning's transition from painting to sculpture was largely accidental but represented a natural extension of his longstanding artistic concerns with the figure, space, and dynamic forms. In the summer of 1969, at age 65, he visited Rome and encountered an old friend, sculptor Herzl Emanuel, at a bronze foundry in Trastevere, who invited him to experiment with modeling clay. De Kooning was immediately drawn to the medium's slipperiness and malleability, which allowed for endless reworking and remolding—qualities he contrasted favorably with oil painting, where a canvas couldn't be fully reset after the first stroke. He reportedly said clay was "even better than oil" because "you can work and work on a painting but you can’t start over again with the canvas like it was before you put that first stroke down." During this trip, he created small clay figures, selecting 13 to be cast in bronze.
Back in New York, he was initially unenthusiastic about the results, but encouragement from British sculptor Henry Moore to enlarge them to monumental scale spurred him to continue, leading to larger works like "Clamdigger." This shift was also influenced by his exposure to the exuberant physicality of Baroque sculptures in Rome and his earlier move to Springs in the early 1960s, where the reflective waters and everyday activities around Long Island Sound inspired new explorations in three dimensions. Ultimately, sculpture allowed de Kooning to recapture the urgency and inventiveness of early Abstract Expressionism through physical engagement, sustaining his creative output into the 1970s despite his primary identity as a painter.
Special Report
Abstraction
Willem de Kooning's abstractions represent some of the most dynamic and influential contributions to Abstract Expressionism, characterized by vigorous gestural brushwork, layered surfaces, and a constant tension between figuration and pure abstraction. Born in the Netherlands in 1904 and active in New York from the late 1920s until his death in 1997, de Kooning fused influences from Cubism, Surrealism, and Expressionism into a radically open, process-driven style that emphasized the physicality of paint, the artist's body in motion, and the interplay of form, space, and emotion.
Core Techniques in His Abstractions
De Kooning's abstract works are built through an intensive, improvisational process often described as "action painting":
Examples of abstractions showcase dense, excavated surfaces from the 1950s; fluid, landscape-evoking sweeps from the 1970s; and spare, ribbon-like linear forms from the luminous 1980s—highlighting his gestural vitality, layered revisions, and evolving restraint.
Core Techniques in His Abstractions
De Kooning's abstract works are built through an intensive, improvisational process often described as "action painting":
- He applied thick, viscous oil paint (sometimes mixed with enamels or household paints for liquidity) in broad, sweeping strokes using brushes, palette knives, or even his hands.
- Layers were built up aggressively, then scraped down, erased, or overpainted repeatedly—sometimes for months—creating a palimpsest of visible revisions, drips, smears, and revelations.
- This additive/subtractive cycle produced textured, luminous surfaces with biomorphic shapes, calligraphic lines, and ambiguous forms that evoke figures, landscapes, or urban energy without fixed representation.
- His "full arm sweep" (especially from the late 1950s onward) introduced greater openness and speed, with more fluid, watery applications that allowed paint to flow and bleed naturally.
- De Kooning rejected pure non-objectivity, insisting his real subject was space and the figure-ground relationship—abstractions often retain faint anatomical or environmental allusions (e.g., hooks, loops, or fleshy contours).
- 1940s–1950s (Early Mature Abstractions): Works like Excavation (1950) and black-and-white enamels (e.g., Attic 1949, Asheville 1948–49) feature dense, agitated all-over compositions with hooked lines, sliding planes, and anatomical fragments (noses, eyes, jaws) emerging from chaotic fields. These sum up years of struggle with free-associative form, blending biomorphic Surrealism with gestural energy.
- Late 1950s–1960s: After his controversial Women series (which fused figuration with abstraction), de Kooning shifted toward more open, pastoral abstractions influenced by his move to Long Island (e.g., Door to the River). Broader sweeps evoke highways, landscapes, and sensations of motion.
- 1970s: Paintings became more fluid and organic, with vibrating strokes of bright blues, pinks, and flesh tones suggesting coastal light, sea, and sand—evoking atmospheric landscapes while remaining fully abstract.
- 1980s (Late Style): Amid early Alzheimer's (diagnosed retrospectively), de Kooning produced large, luminous abstractions with stark simplification: ethereal ribbons or curving bands of primary and bright colors loop and ripple across pale, often white grounds. These "old-age style" works distill earlier motifs into spare, playful linear essences—sinuous, restrained gestures that feel distilled from decades of practice. Critics debate their autonomy due to studio assistance, but they represent a profound reduction: elegant, lyrical, and complex in subtle form despite apparent minimalism.
Examples of abstractions showcase dense, excavated surfaces from the 1950s; fluid, landscape-evoking sweeps from the 1970s; and spare, ribbon-like linear forms from the luminous 1980s—highlighting his gestural vitality, layered revisions, and evolving restraint.
East Hampton Revival and Peak Abstractions
East Hampton is the closest land's end to New York City, facing from the eastern side of Long Island the vastness and violence of the ocean. The big city is not conducive to the communion of an artist with nature. Adroitly pushed by Lee Krasner, Jackson Pollock established their workshop in a barn near the village.
The countryside is flat like in Holland, but the nature explodes in rich colors. Around Leo and Ileana Castelli who also settled in East Hampton, the artists of abstract expressionism and of action painting come to imbibe themselves within the purity of that place.
Willem de Kooning visits the Castellis in East Hampton in 1951 and moves his studio and home in the village in the early 1960s. His early intention of making abstract landscapes is ephemeral. Returning to the representation of human nature, he devotes his art primarily to sculpture in 1969.
Rothko had died in 1970 and Pollock for much longer. The expression of emotions through the distribution of colors could appear to be an art from the past. Willem de Kooning had stopped painting to try sculpture. In 1975, aged 71, this pioneer of modern art operates a dramatic turnaround that restarts the abstract art.
The series of Untitled paintings of 1975-1977 is a turning point in De Kooning's art. The artist was happy and intensely enjoying the nature. The shining colors that he dispositioned on the whole surface of his large paintings express such deep feelings. His painting is a landscape without drawing.
From 1975 Willem de Kooning finds an unexpected happiness that gradually generates a great impulse of creativity. He lives in Long Island amidst a lush nature, next to his mistress Mimi Kilgore. Elaine, from he never divorced, will soon be back to help.
His colors are bright, pure, explosive and even enthusiastic. Forms are only used for ensuring the dynamic balance. Biomorphic evocations if any are no longer decipherable. The color has its own language without being locked in Rothko's structured rectangles.
The colors come to play over an almost translucent lead white ground prepared in several phases of sanding that emulates the clarity of the coastal light. The hand is fast but the balance of the blocks and the uneven brightness provided by the variation in the thickness of paint meet a predefined composition.
De Kooning liked closing his eyes for sculpting clay so that only the gesture and the touch defined the form. Similarly in his new series of paintings the drips and flecks are not created by the sight but by the hand. He once defined his practice of painting as a bending (of forms and colors) just like Miles Davis was bending and not playing the notes for creating rhythm and syncopation.
The most important paintings of this period are named Untitled, with the indication of the year and a serialization in Roman numerals. The numbering of an opus in the sequence, restarting with a new I in 1977 and 1980, is not significant.
The countryside is flat like in Holland, but the nature explodes in rich colors. Around Leo and Ileana Castelli who also settled in East Hampton, the artists of abstract expressionism and of action painting come to imbibe themselves within the purity of that place.
Willem de Kooning visits the Castellis in East Hampton in 1951 and moves his studio and home in the village in the early 1960s. His early intention of making abstract landscapes is ephemeral. Returning to the representation of human nature, he devotes his art primarily to sculpture in 1969.
Rothko had died in 1970 and Pollock for much longer. The expression of emotions through the distribution of colors could appear to be an art from the past. Willem de Kooning had stopped painting to try sculpture. In 1975, aged 71, this pioneer of modern art operates a dramatic turnaround that restarts the abstract art.
The series of Untitled paintings of 1975-1977 is a turning point in De Kooning's art. The artist was happy and intensely enjoying the nature. The shining colors that he dispositioned on the whole surface of his large paintings express such deep feelings. His painting is a landscape without drawing.
From 1975 Willem de Kooning finds an unexpected happiness that gradually generates a great impulse of creativity. He lives in Long Island amidst a lush nature, next to his mistress Mimi Kilgore. Elaine, from he never divorced, will soon be back to help.
His colors are bright, pure, explosive and even enthusiastic. Forms are only used for ensuring the dynamic balance. Biomorphic evocations if any are no longer decipherable. The color has its own language without being locked in Rothko's structured rectangles.
The colors come to play over an almost translucent lead white ground prepared in several phases of sanding that emulates the clarity of the coastal light. The hand is fast but the balance of the blocks and the uneven brightness provided by the variation in the thickness of paint meet a predefined composition.
De Kooning liked closing his eyes for sculpting clay so that only the gesture and the touch defined the form. Similarly in his new series of paintings the drips and flecks are not created by the sight but by the hand. He once defined his practice of painting as a bending (of forms and colors) just like Miles Davis was bending and not playing the notes for creating rhythm and syncopation.
The most important paintings of this period are named Untitled, with the indication of the year and a serialization in Roman numerals. The numbering of an opus in the sequence, restarting with a new I in 1977 and 1980, is not significant.
Untitled by de Kooning. Compare paintings from three successive key years : 1975 (opus V, sold on November 13, 2013 by Sotheby 's, lot 30), 1976 (opus XXI, sold on November 4, 2015 by Sotheby's, lot 15T), 1977 (opus XXV, sold by Christie's on November 15, 2016, lot 8 A).
Willem de Kooning's Untitled Paintings: A Comparison Across 1975, 1976, and 1977
Willem de Kooning's Untitled series from the mid-1970s represents a pivotal resurgence in his career, marking a transition from earlier figurative works to luminous, abstract landscapes inspired by his East Hampton surroundings. After a period of creative lull in the late 1960s and early 1970s, de Kooning experienced a burst of productivity starting in 1975, influenced by the light, water, and natural environment of Louse Point. This era, spanning 1975–1978, is often regarded as the apex of his oeuvre, with 1977 hailed as his annus mirabilis (miraculous year) for its technical innovation and emotional vitality. The paintings from these years synthesize gestural abstraction with environmental motifs, featuring fluid brushstrokes, layered textures, and vibrant palettes that evoke movement and serenity. While sharing core traits like all-over compositions and nature-inspired luminosity, the works show progression: 1975 signals revival with balanced, emphatic marks; 1976 introduces sculptural effects through thinned paints; and 1977 peaks with expansive, boundless dynamism akin to Pollock's influence.
The specific paintings referenced--Untitled V (1975), Untitled XXI (1976), and Untitled XXV (1977)—exemplify this evolution, each achieving strong auction results reflective of their critical acclaim.
Untitled V (1975)
This work marks the onset of de Kooning's 1975 revival, one of the first in a series of around 20 large canvases completed in six months. Oil on canvas, 70 x 80 inches (177.8 x 203.2 cm), signed on the reverse. It features luscious brushstrokes, emphatic mark-making, and violent flecks, balancing vibrant colors against whites to create a harmonious yet energetic abstract landscape. Sold at Sotheby's on November 13, 2013 (lot 30) for $25 million.
Untitled XXI (1976)
Building on the 1975 momentum, this painting introduces greater experimentation with paint viscosity, using thinned oils for sculptural, slippery forms that oscillate between abstraction and subtle objectivity. Oil on canvas, 80 x 70 inches (203.2 x 177.8 cm). It showcases vibrant, limpid motifs in a sensuous spectrum, evoking the artist's mid-1970s preoccupation with fluidity and light. Sold at Sotheby's on November 4, 2015 (lot 15T) for $24.9 million.
Untitled XXV (1977)
Representing the pinnacle of the series, this exuberant canvas bursts with color, textural brushwork, and perpetual motion, drawing from Louse Point's watery landscapes while achieving a boundless, all-over composition. Oil on canvas, 77 x 88 inches (195.7 x 223.5 cm)—the largest in the series. It embodies de Kooning's joyous return to painting, blending human gesture with natural essence in a non-figurative form. Sold at Christie's on November 15, 2016 (lot 8A) for $66.3 million, setting a then-record for the artist.
AspectUntitled V (1975)Untitled XXI (1976)Untitled XXV (1977)
Size
1975 : 70 x 80 in (177.8 x 203.2 cm)
&976 : 80 x 70 in (203.2 x 177.8 cm)
1977 : 77 x 88 in (195.7 x 223.5 cm) – Largest
Key Stylistic Elements
1975 : Luscious brushstrokes, emphatic marks, violent flecks; balanced colors and whites evoking revival energy.
1976 : Slippery, limpid forms with thinned oils for sculptural effects; vibrant, fluid motifs oscillating between abstraction and objectivity.
1977 : Exuberant bursts of color and texture; boundless, all-over composition with vigorous, gestural brushwork rooted in nature.
Inspirational Context
1975 : Start of 1975 burst, drawing from East Hampton light and water; revival after lull.
1976 : Mid-period experimentation with viscosity and light; highly coveted for fluidity.
1977 : Peak of 1977 annus mirabilis; inspired by Louse Point landscapes, gambler-like creativity.
Auction Details & Price
1975 : Sotheby's, Nov 13, 2013 (lot 30); $25M.
1976 : Sotheby's, Nov 4, 2015 (lot 15T); $24.9M.
1977 : Christie's, Nov 15, 2016 (lot 8A); $66.3M (artist record at time).
Comparison Notes
1975 : Foundational revival piece with emphatic, balanced abstraction; sets stage for series.
1976 : Transitional, emphasizing sculptural depth and viscosity; bridges early revival to peak dynamism.
1976 : Culmination with grand scale and intensity; most acclaimed and valuable, reflecting series' zenith.
These works illustrate de Kooning's progression from rekindled energy in 1975 to refined experimentation in 1976 and triumphant mastery in 1977, solidifying the 1970s as a defining chapter in his legacy.
Willem de Kooning's Untitled Paintings: A Comparison Across 1975, 1976, and 1977
Willem de Kooning's Untitled series from the mid-1970s represents a pivotal resurgence in his career, marking a transition from earlier figurative works to luminous, abstract landscapes inspired by his East Hampton surroundings. After a period of creative lull in the late 1960s and early 1970s, de Kooning experienced a burst of productivity starting in 1975, influenced by the light, water, and natural environment of Louse Point. This era, spanning 1975–1978, is often regarded as the apex of his oeuvre, with 1977 hailed as his annus mirabilis (miraculous year) for its technical innovation and emotional vitality. The paintings from these years synthesize gestural abstraction with environmental motifs, featuring fluid brushstrokes, layered textures, and vibrant palettes that evoke movement and serenity. While sharing core traits like all-over compositions and nature-inspired luminosity, the works show progression: 1975 signals revival with balanced, emphatic marks; 1976 introduces sculptural effects through thinned paints; and 1977 peaks with expansive, boundless dynamism akin to Pollock's influence.
The specific paintings referenced--Untitled V (1975), Untitled XXI (1976), and Untitled XXV (1977)—exemplify this evolution, each achieving strong auction results reflective of their critical acclaim.
Untitled V (1975)
This work marks the onset of de Kooning's 1975 revival, one of the first in a series of around 20 large canvases completed in six months. Oil on canvas, 70 x 80 inches (177.8 x 203.2 cm), signed on the reverse. It features luscious brushstrokes, emphatic mark-making, and violent flecks, balancing vibrant colors against whites to create a harmonious yet energetic abstract landscape. Sold at Sotheby's on November 13, 2013 (lot 30) for $25 million.
Untitled XXI (1976)
Building on the 1975 momentum, this painting introduces greater experimentation with paint viscosity, using thinned oils for sculptural, slippery forms that oscillate between abstraction and subtle objectivity. Oil on canvas, 80 x 70 inches (203.2 x 177.8 cm). It showcases vibrant, limpid motifs in a sensuous spectrum, evoking the artist's mid-1970s preoccupation with fluidity and light. Sold at Sotheby's on November 4, 2015 (lot 15T) for $24.9 million.
Untitled XXV (1977)
Representing the pinnacle of the series, this exuberant canvas bursts with color, textural brushwork, and perpetual motion, drawing from Louse Point's watery landscapes while achieving a boundless, all-over composition. Oil on canvas, 77 x 88 inches (195.7 x 223.5 cm)—the largest in the series. It embodies de Kooning's joyous return to painting, blending human gesture with natural essence in a non-figurative form. Sold at Christie's on November 15, 2016 (lot 8A) for $66.3 million, setting a then-record for the artist.
AspectUntitled V (1975)Untitled XXI (1976)Untitled XXV (1977)
Size
1975 : 70 x 80 in (177.8 x 203.2 cm)
&976 : 80 x 70 in (203.2 x 177.8 cm)
1977 : 77 x 88 in (195.7 x 223.5 cm) – Largest
Key Stylistic Elements
1975 : Luscious brushstrokes, emphatic marks, violent flecks; balanced colors and whites evoking revival energy.
1976 : Slippery, limpid forms with thinned oils for sculptural effects; vibrant, fluid motifs oscillating between abstraction and objectivity.
1977 : Exuberant bursts of color and texture; boundless, all-over composition with vigorous, gestural brushwork rooted in nature.
Inspirational Context
1975 : Start of 1975 burst, drawing from East Hampton light and water; revival after lull.
1976 : Mid-period experimentation with viscosity and light; highly coveted for fluidity.
1977 : Peak of 1977 annus mirabilis; inspired by Louse Point landscapes, gambler-like creativity.
Auction Details & Price
1975 : Sotheby's, Nov 13, 2013 (lot 30); $25M.
1976 : Sotheby's, Nov 4, 2015 (lot 15T); $24.9M.
1977 : Christie's, Nov 15, 2016 (lot 8A); $66.3M (artist record at time).
Comparison Notes
1975 : Foundational revival piece with emphatic, balanced abstraction; sets stage for series.
1976 : Transitional, emphasizing sculptural depth and viscosity; bridges early revival to peak dynamism.
1976 : Culmination with grand scale and intensity; most acclaimed and valuable, reflecting series' zenith.
These works illustrate de Kooning's progression from rekindled energy in 1975 to refined experimentation in 1976 and triumphant mastery in 1977, solidifying the 1970s as a defining chapter in his legacy.
1975 Untitled III
2026 SOLD for $ 26M by Sotheby's
The Untitled III of 1975 was sold for $ 26M by Sotheby's on May 14, 2026, lot 121. The video is shared by the auction house.
On November 13, 2013, Sotheby 's sold at lot 30 for $ 25M Untitled V, 178 x 203 cm, one of the first works of this revival of 1975. This is one of the largest in the series and one of the most attractive in its successful balance between colors and whites.
Both Untitled III and Untitled V (1975) belong to de Kooning’s explosive series of large-scale abstractions created in East Hampton after he returned to painting following a focus on sculpture. They share the same energetic, gestural technique and evoke the coastal light, water, and landscape of Long Island through fluid, luminous color and dynamic forms. However, they differ in palette emphasis, compositional density, and overall mood.
Technique (Shared & Distinct)
Shared: Both exemplify de Kooning’s mature late-1970s approach—thick, luscious oil paint applied with broad brushes, palette knives, spatulas, and scraping tools. He often thinned paint with water, kerosene, or safflower oil for fluidity, allowing drips, smears, flecks, and layered impasto. This creates a highly tactile, almost sculptural surface where forms emerge, dissolve, and overlap through energetic, physical gestures. The works feel improvisational yet masterful, with visible revisions and a sense of "action painting" urgency.
Both use vibrant, light-filled palettes inspired by East Hampton’s ocean, sky, and reflections—blues for water/sky, yellows/reds for light and energy, whites for luminosity. Colors are seductive and primary-heavy but modulated for depth.
Both are non-figurative yet evoke shifting natural elements—forms float, merge, and dissolve like reflections on water. No clear figures or landscapes, but hints of biomorphic shapes, horizons, or turbulence through overlapping planes.
Key Comparison
Both works are from de Kooning's highly sought-after 1975 series of large, gestural abstractions painted in Springs, East Hampton, after a period focused on sculpture. This was a time of renewed energy, vibrant color, and fluid brushwork inspired by the coastal light and landscape. These paintings are among his most collector-favored late(ish) works.
On November 13, 2013, Sotheby 's sold at lot 30 for $ 25M Untitled V, 178 x 203 cm, one of the first works of this revival of 1975. This is one of the largest in the series and one of the most attractive in its successful balance between colors and whites.
Both Untitled III and Untitled V (1975) belong to de Kooning’s explosive series of large-scale abstractions created in East Hampton after he returned to painting following a focus on sculpture. They share the same energetic, gestural technique and evoke the coastal light, water, and landscape of Long Island through fluid, luminous color and dynamic forms. However, they differ in palette emphasis, compositional density, and overall mood.
Technique (Shared & Distinct)
Shared: Both exemplify de Kooning’s mature late-1970s approach—thick, luscious oil paint applied with broad brushes, palette knives, spatulas, and scraping tools. He often thinned paint with water, kerosene, or safflower oil for fluidity, allowing drips, smears, flecks, and layered impasto. This creates a highly tactile, almost sculptural surface where forms emerge, dissolve, and overlap through energetic, physical gestures. The works feel improvisational yet masterful, with visible revisions and a sense of "action painting" urgency.
- Untitled III: Emphasizes sweeping, confident strokes with strong vertical and cascading movements. The surface has rich layering and varied textures—some areas built up thickly, others more fluid or scraped. It feels monumental and structured in its energy.
- Untitled V: Features even more "violent" variety—jagged cascades, emphatic mark-making, smears, and Pollock-like drips/flecks in the center. The handling appears slightly more unrestrained and urgent, with broader flattening of strokes and sophisticated scraping/smearing that foreshadows later artists like Richter.
Both use vibrant, light-filled palettes inspired by East Hampton’s ocean, sky, and reflections—blues for water/sky, yellows/reds for light and energy, whites for luminosity. Colors are seductive and primary-heavy but modulated for depth.
- Untitled III: Rich vermilions (deep reds), steel blues, and saffron yellows dominate, creating a balanced, renewing vitality. The palette feels harmonious and luminous, with cooler blues anchoring warmer accents for a sense of spacious coastal light.
- Untitled V: More intense and contrasting—"searing reds and yellows" surge against "serene blues" and "cool fluid whites." It has a hotter, more ignited quality, with blazing primary hues that feel explosive and seductive. The color drives the emotional intensity higher.
Both are non-figurative yet evoke shifting natural elements—forms float, merge, and dissolve like reflections on water. No clear figures or landscapes, but hints of biomorphic shapes, horizons, or turbulence through overlapping planes.
- Untitled III (larger vertically-oriented canvas): Forms feel more expansive and structured, with bold gestures creating depth and movement that suggest renewal and unbridled vitality. The composition has a balanced, almost architectural flow amid the chaos.
- Untitled V (more horizontal): Denser, more turbulent assault of forms—jagged cascades and overlapping swathes create greater urgency and "assault" on the senses. It feels like pure, unrestrained expression, with forms emerging/submerging more dramatically.
Key Comparison
Both works are from de Kooning's highly sought-after 1975 series of large, gestural abstractions painted in Springs, East Hampton, after a period focused on sculpture. This was a time of renewed energy, vibrant color, and fluid brushwork inspired by the coastal light and landscape. These paintings are among his most collector-favored late(ish) works.
- For sale: Untitled III (1975)
- Size: 87¾ × 76½ in. (222.9 × 194.3 cm) — notably large.
- Estimate: $25–35 million (Sotheby's, May 2026 evening auction).
- Provenance: From the Willem de Kooning Revocable Trust; private collection since 2007.
- Exhibition history: Extremely strong—shown in the original 1975 Fourcade exhibition (as no. 3), plus major museum shows (Hirshhorn tour, Kunstmuseum Basel, Gagosian centennial, etc.), with catalogue illustrations and even a cover appearance.
- Sold: Untitled V (1975)
- Size: 70 × 80 in. (177.8 × 203.2 cm) — slightly smaller.
- Estimate (2013): $25–35 million (Sotheby's).
- Sold for: ~$24.8 million (with premium; below low estimate). Fresh to market after decades in a private collection, strong provenance (Xavier Fourcade → Anthony d’Offay → collector in 1989).
- Size matters: Untitled III is larger in one dimension, which often commands a premium.
- Provenance & freshness: Both have excellent histories, but Untitled III has broader museum exposure.
- Recent comparables: 1970s de Koonings have strengthened. Examples from the series or similar have sold in the $20–35M range at auction (e.g., private sales like Untitled XII at $35M in 2018). Top records are higher (e.g., Untitled XXV from 1977 at $66.3M in 2016), but those were exceptional. Mid-1970s works have achieved $20–25M+ recently.
- Inflation/adjustment: From 2013 to 2026, the overall art market (especially blue-chip postwar) has grown, but de Kooning's late works were somewhat undervalued earlier and have gained curatorial/market traction. The identical estimate range reflects conservatism for a big evening sale.
1976 Untitled XXI
2015 SOLD for $ 25M by Sotheby's
On November 4, 2015, Sotheby's sold for $ 25M the Untitled XXI of 1976, oil on canvas 203 x 178 cm, lot 15T. The artist added thinning oils to the paint for displaying sculptural effects on the canvas. Please watch the video shared by the auction house.
The passion of action painting liberates to the viewer's imagination the waves breaking on the rocks, the color of gorse in blossom on the dune and a woman standing in a long dress who observes all this beauty. Alfred Taubman enjoyed this specific opus.
Some smaller paintings of similar technique are titled East Hampton, revealing the inspiration of the whole. East Hampton VI, oil on canvas 77 x 91 cm painted in 1977, was sold for $ 10.4M by Christie's on May 13, 2021, lot 3 B.
Untitled XXI (1976)
A bold abstraction from de Kooning's prolific mid-1970s, this work highlights his paradox of controlled chaos through thinned oils creating slippery, limpid forms and sculptural effects. Oil on canvas, 80 x 70 inches (203.2 x 177.8 cm), signed on the reverse. It showcases vibrant, fluid motifs oscillating between abstraction and subtle objectivity, with ribbons of color in blues, yellows, and pinks applied, scraped, and removed for complex textures. Part of the East Hampton-inspired series, it reflects a gamble-like creativity during his revival. Sold at Sotheby's on November 4, 2015 (lot 15T) for $25 million.
Comparison of Willem de Kooning's East Hampton VI (1977) and Untitled XXI (1976)
Willem de Kooning's works from the mid-1970s represent a transformative period in his career, characterized by a renewed vigor after relocating to East Hampton, New York, in 1963. Influenced by the coastal light, water, and landscapes of Louse Point, these paintings blend gestural abstraction with subtle figurative elements, marking a departure from his earlier "Woman" series toward more fluid, nature-inspired compositions. Both East Hampton VI (1977) and Untitled XXI (1976) exemplify this era, capturing the artist's experimentation with paint viscosity, chromatic richness, and the integration of figure and landscape. However, they differ in scale, compositional focus, and market performance, with Untitled XXI embodying a transitional fluidity and East Hampton VI foreshadowing the exuberant abstractions of his final phase.
East Hampton VI (1977)
This painting is a product of de Kooning's creative resurgence in East Hampton, where the dramatic coastal light inspired a new reconciliation of form and surface. Oil on canvas, measuring 30 1/8 x 36 inches (76.5 x 91.4 cm), signed and dated on the reverse. It features baroque flourishes of heavily laden brushwork against a golden ground, with high-keyed ribbons of paint tracing elemental figurative forms—such as pale legs silhouetted in red in the lower right and a torqued figure above—subsumed in abstraction. Colors include electric blue, verdant green, warm pinks, mauves, blue-greens, and reddish oranges, evoking sun-drenched vibrancy and coastal clarity, akin to Claude Monet's late abstract celebrations of light. Exhibited widely in Europe, including at the Stedelijk Museum (Amsterdam, 1983) and Kunsthal Rotterdam (2005), it marks a bridge from his Abstract Expressionist roots to his late-career innovations. Sold at Christie's on May 13, 2021 (lot 3B) for $10,436,000.
Size
VI : 30 1/8 x 36 in (76.5 x 91.4 cm) – Smaller, more intimate format.
XXI : 80 x 70 in (203.2 x 177.8 cm) – Larger scale emphasizing expansive abstraction.
Key Stylistic Elements
VI : Baroque flourishes with heavily laden brush; union of figurative (e.g., silhouetted legs, torqued figures) and abstract elements; reconciliation of 3D form with surface; influenced by Matisse's fluid forms.
XXI : Slippery, limpid forms via thinned oils for sculptural effects; bold, gestural abstraction with scraped textures; paradox of control and chaos.
Colors & Composition
VI : Golden ground with electric blue, verdant green, warm pinks, mauves, blue-greens, reddish oranges; high-keyed ribbons tracing elemental forms subsumed in abstraction; sun-drenched vibrancy from coastal light.
XXI : Vibrant spectrum of blues, yellows, pinks; fluid motifs and complex layering; all-over composition evoking water-like surfaces.
Inspirational Context & Significance
VI : Inspired by East Hampton's light and landscape; blends earlier figuration with abstraction; foreshadows late-career phase; part of series exhibited at Guggenheim (1978); reaffirms de Kooning's innovation as a "late flowering."
XXI : East Hampton revival; transitional work bridging dry spell to peak 1977 mastery; captures joyous, gamble-like creativity; highly coveted for fluidity and depth.
Provenance & Exhibition History
VI : Acquired from Xavier Fourcade, Inc. (1979); exhibited in Los Angeles (1977), Amsterdam (1983), Stockholm (1983), Rotterdam (2005).
XXI : From A. Alfred Taubman collection; exhibited at Whitney (1983, hung in place of similar museum-owned work on loan).
Auction Details & Price
VI : Christie's, May 13, 2021 (lot 3B); $10,436,000.
XXI : Sotheby's, Nov 4, 2015 (lot 15T); $25 million.
Comparison Notes
VI : More intimate and figurative-leaning, with explicit landscape integration and Monet-like light breakdown; lower price reflects smaller size and subtler market appeal.
XXI : Larger, more purely abstract with sculptural emphasis; higher value due to scale, boldness, and alignment with peak revival works.
Overall, while both paintings draw from de Kooning's East Hampton environment to fuse abstraction with natural essence, Untitled XXI (1976) prioritizes expansive, fluid experimentation, whereas East Hampton VI (1977) offers a compact, transitional synthesis hinting at his mature style—differences amplified by their scales and auction outcomes.
The passion of action painting liberates to the viewer's imagination the waves breaking on the rocks, the color of gorse in blossom on the dune and a woman standing in a long dress who observes all this beauty. Alfred Taubman enjoyed this specific opus.
Some smaller paintings of similar technique are titled East Hampton, revealing the inspiration of the whole. East Hampton VI, oil on canvas 77 x 91 cm painted in 1977, was sold for $ 10.4M by Christie's on May 13, 2021, lot 3 B.
Untitled XXI (1976)
A bold abstraction from de Kooning's prolific mid-1970s, this work highlights his paradox of controlled chaos through thinned oils creating slippery, limpid forms and sculptural effects. Oil on canvas, 80 x 70 inches (203.2 x 177.8 cm), signed on the reverse. It showcases vibrant, fluid motifs oscillating between abstraction and subtle objectivity, with ribbons of color in blues, yellows, and pinks applied, scraped, and removed for complex textures. Part of the East Hampton-inspired series, it reflects a gamble-like creativity during his revival. Sold at Sotheby's on November 4, 2015 (lot 15T) for $25 million.
Comparison of Willem de Kooning's East Hampton VI (1977) and Untitled XXI (1976)
Willem de Kooning's works from the mid-1970s represent a transformative period in his career, characterized by a renewed vigor after relocating to East Hampton, New York, in 1963. Influenced by the coastal light, water, and landscapes of Louse Point, these paintings blend gestural abstraction with subtle figurative elements, marking a departure from his earlier "Woman" series toward more fluid, nature-inspired compositions. Both East Hampton VI (1977) and Untitled XXI (1976) exemplify this era, capturing the artist's experimentation with paint viscosity, chromatic richness, and the integration of figure and landscape. However, they differ in scale, compositional focus, and market performance, with Untitled XXI embodying a transitional fluidity and East Hampton VI foreshadowing the exuberant abstractions of his final phase.
East Hampton VI (1977)
This painting is a product of de Kooning's creative resurgence in East Hampton, where the dramatic coastal light inspired a new reconciliation of form and surface. Oil on canvas, measuring 30 1/8 x 36 inches (76.5 x 91.4 cm), signed and dated on the reverse. It features baroque flourishes of heavily laden brushwork against a golden ground, with high-keyed ribbons of paint tracing elemental figurative forms—such as pale legs silhouetted in red in the lower right and a torqued figure above—subsumed in abstraction. Colors include electric blue, verdant green, warm pinks, mauves, blue-greens, and reddish oranges, evoking sun-drenched vibrancy and coastal clarity, akin to Claude Monet's late abstract celebrations of light. Exhibited widely in Europe, including at the Stedelijk Museum (Amsterdam, 1983) and Kunsthal Rotterdam (2005), it marks a bridge from his Abstract Expressionist roots to his late-career innovations. Sold at Christie's on May 13, 2021 (lot 3B) for $10,436,000.
Size
VI : 30 1/8 x 36 in (76.5 x 91.4 cm) – Smaller, more intimate format.
XXI : 80 x 70 in (203.2 x 177.8 cm) – Larger scale emphasizing expansive abstraction.
Key Stylistic Elements
VI : Baroque flourishes with heavily laden brush; union of figurative (e.g., silhouetted legs, torqued figures) and abstract elements; reconciliation of 3D form with surface; influenced by Matisse's fluid forms.
XXI : Slippery, limpid forms via thinned oils for sculptural effects; bold, gestural abstraction with scraped textures; paradox of control and chaos.
Colors & Composition
VI : Golden ground with electric blue, verdant green, warm pinks, mauves, blue-greens, reddish oranges; high-keyed ribbons tracing elemental forms subsumed in abstraction; sun-drenched vibrancy from coastal light.
XXI : Vibrant spectrum of blues, yellows, pinks; fluid motifs and complex layering; all-over composition evoking water-like surfaces.
Inspirational Context & Significance
VI : Inspired by East Hampton's light and landscape; blends earlier figuration with abstraction; foreshadows late-career phase; part of series exhibited at Guggenheim (1978); reaffirms de Kooning's innovation as a "late flowering."
XXI : East Hampton revival; transitional work bridging dry spell to peak 1977 mastery; captures joyous, gamble-like creativity; highly coveted for fluidity and depth.
Provenance & Exhibition History
VI : Acquired from Xavier Fourcade, Inc. (1979); exhibited in Los Angeles (1977), Amsterdam (1983), Stockholm (1983), Rotterdam (2005).
XXI : From A. Alfred Taubman collection; exhibited at Whitney (1983, hung in place of similar museum-owned work on loan).
Auction Details & Price
VI : Christie's, May 13, 2021 (lot 3B); $10,436,000.
XXI : Sotheby's, Nov 4, 2015 (lot 15T); $25 million.
Comparison Notes
VI : More intimate and figurative-leaning, with explicit landscape integration and Monet-like light breakdown; lower price reflects smaller size and subtler market appeal.
XXI : Larger, more purely abstract with sculptural emphasis; higher value due to scale, boldness, and alignment with peak revival works.
Overall, while both paintings draw from de Kooning's East Hampton environment to fuse abstraction with natural essence, Untitled XXI (1976) prioritizes expansive, fluid experimentation, whereas East Hampton VI (1977) offers a compact, transitional synthesis hinting at his mature style—differences amplified by their scales and auction outcomes.
1977 Untitled XXV
2016 SOLD for $ 66M by Christie's
Significance of the 1977 Untitled Series in Willem de Kooning's Career
Willem de Kooning, a leading figure in Abstract Expressionism, experienced a profound resurgence in the mid-1970s after relocating to East Hampton, New York, in 1963 and overcoming periods of creative stagnation and personal challenges, including alcoholism. The 1977 Untitled series marks the pinnacle of this revival, often described as his annus mirabilis (miraculous year), during which he produced a prolific group of large-scale, radiant abstractions. Beginning in 1975 at age 71, de Kooning completed around 20 major canvases in just six months, followed by even more in 1977—works that synthesized his gestural, energetic style with influences from the surrounding natural landscape, such as the light and water of Louse Point. These untitled and numbered paintings represent a departure from his earlier figurative "Woman" series, embracing pure abstraction with fluid, organic lines, vibrant colors, and layered textures that evoke movement and serenity.
This series solidified de Kooning's legacy as an innovative force in his 70s, blending biomorphic forms, abstraction, and environmental inspiration. Critically acclaimed for their technical mastery and emotional depth, these works are now among his most valuable, with 1977 paintings dominating his top auction records and reflecting growing market appreciation for his late abstractions over earlier figurative pieces.
Comparison to Untitled XXV (Reference)
Untitled XXV (1977), the reference for this comparison, is an exuberant oil on canvas measuring 77 x 88 inches (195.7 x 223.5 cm)—the largest in the series. It features a dynamic composition of sweeping brushstrokes and layered textures, bursting with vibrant colors: bold pinks, reds, and whites contrasted against blues and yellows, creating a sense of perpetual motion and landscape-inspired energy. Sold at Christie's on November 15, 2016 (lot 8A) for $66.3 million, it set de Kooning's auction record, more than doubling its 2006 sale price and underscoring the market's high regard for his 1977 works. The following paintings from the series share core traits with Untitled XXV, including gestural abstraction, East Hampton-inspired luminosity, and vibrant palettes evoking natural elements like water and light. However, they differ in scale, specific color emphases, compositional density, and market performance. Below is a comparative overview:
Untitled VIII
70 x 80 inches, Red, white, black, blue with flashes of yellow and orange; fluid brushstrokes and scraped surfaces creating perpetual motion; confronts sky/sea blues with earthy vibrancy; biomorphic synthesis.
Christie's, Nov 12, 2013; $32 million.
Smaller scale; similar dynamic energy and layered techniques, but more restrained palette with black accents and earthier tones vs. XXV's brighter pinks/reds; lower price reflects earlier sale date and slightly less expansive composition.
Untitled XXI
70 x 80 inches, Blues, yellows, pinks on pearly white ground; twisting ribbons and jewel-toned strokes with scraping for texture; glowing, ecstatic gestural abstraction.
Christie's, May 12, 2022, lot 19C; $25 million.
Matching scale; echoes XXV's radiant light and movement, but softer pink-white dominance and more serene twisting forms vs. XXV's bold contrasts; recent sale but lower price due to smaller perceived impact.
Untitled XXII
70 x 80 inches, Brilliant, unrestrained colors emphasizing light; all-over pastoral abstraction with assault of expression; natural world focus.
Sotheby's, Nov 14, 2019, lot 13; $30.1 million.
Similar scale and forceful expression; aligns with XXV's vibrant assault and landscape evocation, but greater emphasis on light over color contrasts; comparable price, reflecting shared critical acclaim.
Untitled XXIII
70 x 80 inches, Vibrant gestural abstraction with layered brushwork; specific palette details limited, but consistent with series' fluid, nature-inspired forms.
Christie's, Nov 13, 2007, lot 43.Matching scale; shares XXV's textural energy and abstraction, but likely subtler variations in density.
Untitled XXXI
54 x 60 inches. Sensuous spectrum (yellows, corals, reds, whites, blues inferred from series); lyrical abstract landscape with baroque opulence.
Christie's, May 13, 2014, lot 39; price realized 111% above mid-estimate. Smaller scale; mirrors XXV's lyrical depth and color layering, but more compact composition; reduced size and earlier sale explain lower price despite shared pastoral qualities.
Untitled XXXIII
60 x 54 inches. Full-force abstraction with singular style; color-drenched canvas evoking series' luminosity (blues, whites inferred).
Sotheby's, Nov 15, 2021, lot 3; $24.4 million.Smaller scale; captures XXV's unrestrained expression and light, but more intimate format; strong price reflects recent market strength, though below XXV due to size and slightly less expansive dynamism.
Overall, these works exemplify de Kooning's 1977 mastery, with Untitled XXV standing out for its grand scale, bold color dynamics, and record price. The others offer nuanced variations—often more focused palettes or serene tones—while maintaining the series' hallmark fusion of chaos and harmony, though their smaller sizes and sale timings result in lower valuations.
Willem de Kooning, a leading figure in Abstract Expressionism, experienced a profound resurgence in the mid-1970s after relocating to East Hampton, New York, in 1963 and overcoming periods of creative stagnation and personal challenges, including alcoholism. The 1977 Untitled series marks the pinnacle of this revival, often described as his annus mirabilis (miraculous year), during which he produced a prolific group of large-scale, radiant abstractions. Beginning in 1975 at age 71, de Kooning completed around 20 major canvases in just six months, followed by even more in 1977—works that synthesized his gestural, energetic style with influences from the surrounding natural landscape, such as the light and water of Louse Point. These untitled and numbered paintings represent a departure from his earlier figurative "Woman" series, embracing pure abstraction with fluid, organic lines, vibrant colors, and layered textures that evoke movement and serenity.
This series solidified de Kooning's legacy as an innovative force in his 70s, blending biomorphic forms, abstraction, and environmental inspiration. Critically acclaimed for their technical mastery and emotional depth, these works are now among his most valuable, with 1977 paintings dominating his top auction records and reflecting growing market appreciation for his late abstractions over earlier figurative pieces.
Comparison to Untitled XXV (Reference)
Untitled XXV (1977), the reference for this comparison, is an exuberant oil on canvas measuring 77 x 88 inches (195.7 x 223.5 cm)—the largest in the series. It features a dynamic composition of sweeping brushstrokes and layered textures, bursting with vibrant colors: bold pinks, reds, and whites contrasted against blues and yellows, creating a sense of perpetual motion and landscape-inspired energy. Sold at Christie's on November 15, 2016 (lot 8A) for $66.3 million, it set de Kooning's auction record, more than doubling its 2006 sale price and underscoring the market's high regard for his 1977 works. The following paintings from the series share core traits with Untitled XXV, including gestural abstraction, East Hampton-inspired luminosity, and vibrant palettes evoking natural elements like water and light. However, they differ in scale, specific color emphases, compositional density, and market performance. Below is a comparative overview:
Untitled VIII
70 x 80 inches, Red, white, black, blue with flashes of yellow and orange; fluid brushstrokes and scraped surfaces creating perpetual motion; confronts sky/sea blues with earthy vibrancy; biomorphic synthesis.
Christie's, Nov 12, 2013; $32 million.
Smaller scale; similar dynamic energy and layered techniques, but more restrained palette with black accents and earthier tones vs. XXV's brighter pinks/reds; lower price reflects earlier sale date and slightly less expansive composition.
Untitled XXI
70 x 80 inches, Blues, yellows, pinks on pearly white ground; twisting ribbons and jewel-toned strokes with scraping for texture; glowing, ecstatic gestural abstraction.
Christie's, May 12, 2022, lot 19C; $25 million.
Matching scale; echoes XXV's radiant light and movement, but softer pink-white dominance and more serene twisting forms vs. XXV's bold contrasts; recent sale but lower price due to smaller perceived impact.
Untitled XXII
70 x 80 inches, Brilliant, unrestrained colors emphasizing light; all-over pastoral abstraction with assault of expression; natural world focus.
Sotheby's, Nov 14, 2019, lot 13; $30.1 million.
Similar scale and forceful expression; aligns with XXV's vibrant assault and landscape evocation, but greater emphasis on light over color contrasts; comparable price, reflecting shared critical acclaim.
Untitled XXIII
70 x 80 inches, Vibrant gestural abstraction with layered brushwork; specific palette details limited, but consistent with series' fluid, nature-inspired forms.
Christie's, Nov 13, 2007, lot 43.Matching scale; shares XXV's textural energy and abstraction, but likely subtler variations in density.
Untitled XXXI
54 x 60 inches. Sensuous spectrum (yellows, corals, reds, whites, blues inferred from series); lyrical abstract landscape with baroque opulence.
Christie's, May 13, 2014, lot 39; price realized 111% above mid-estimate. Smaller scale; mirrors XXV's lyrical depth and color layering, but more compact composition; reduced size and earlier sale explain lower price despite shared pastoral qualities.
Untitled XXXIII
60 x 54 inches. Full-force abstraction with singular style; color-drenched canvas evoking series' luminosity (blues, whites inferred).
Sotheby's, Nov 15, 2021, lot 3; $24.4 million.Smaller scale; captures XXV's unrestrained expression and light, but more intimate format; strong price reflects recent market strength, though below XXV due to size and slightly less expansive dynamism.
Overall, these works exemplify de Kooning's 1977 mastery, with Untitled XXV standing out for its grand scale, bold color dynamics, and record price. The others offer nuanced variations—often more focused palettes or serene tones—while maintaining the series' hallmark fusion of chaos and harmony, though their smaller sizes and sale timings result in lower valuations.
Willem de Kooning was a lover of women and a heavy drinker. His artistic career is uneven, marked by breaks and restarts. The beauty of Long Island offers him a late redemption in his seventies.
De Kooning buys a piece of land near Springs in 1958, two years after Pollock's death. Pollock had his studio in the same village where he was imbued with the richly colorful nature facing the fluctuating surface of the ocean. It took 17 years to de Kooning to start a creativity of similar inspiration.
In 1975 the old artist is happy. His art is acclaimed. He is pleased with his young girlfriend Mimi Kilgore. His wife Elaine of whom he had never divorced comes back to him in the following year. He finally takes time to contemplate the nature through observations of very long duration ending in a sudden rush on his canvas, colors and brushes.
The bright colors that cover the entire surface of the canvas were not spontaneous at all. They are made of mixed layers varying from impasto to flowing paint. The visionary artist knows in advance which result he desires and has no doubt that he will succeed. Once finished he considers that what he achieved is impossible to repeat. And he starts again with another canvas.
All these Untitled paintings are different because they are based on other contemplations. Sometimes a naked flesh, a tree or the sea arises beyond abstraction by a careful observation. Pollock also was upset when his art was considered abstract.
Untitled XXV, oil on canvas also 196 x 224 cm painted in 1977, was sold by Christie's for $ 27M on 15 November 15, 2006, and for $ 66M exactly ten years later, on November 15, 2016, lot 8 A. The abstract scenery was made in a rich dominance of scarlet, crimson and vermilion that cancels the radiant white background layer.
De Kooning buys a piece of land near Springs in 1958, two years after Pollock's death. Pollock had his studio in the same village where he was imbued with the richly colorful nature facing the fluctuating surface of the ocean. It took 17 years to de Kooning to start a creativity of similar inspiration.
In 1975 the old artist is happy. His art is acclaimed. He is pleased with his young girlfriend Mimi Kilgore. His wife Elaine of whom he had never divorced comes back to him in the following year. He finally takes time to contemplate the nature through observations of very long duration ending in a sudden rush on his canvas, colors and brushes.
The bright colors that cover the entire surface of the canvas were not spontaneous at all. They are made of mixed layers varying from impasto to flowing paint. The visionary artist knows in advance which result he desires and has no doubt that he will succeed. Once finished he considers that what he achieved is impossible to repeat. And he starts again with another canvas.
All these Untitled paintings are different because they are based on other contemplations. Sometimes a naked flesh, a tree or the sea arises beyond abstraction by a careful observation. Pollock also was upset when his art was considered abstract.
Untitled XXV, oil on canvas also 196 x 224 cm painted in 1977, was sold by Christie's for $ 27M on 15 November 15, 2006, and for $ 66M exactly ten years later, on November 15, 2016, lot 8 A. The abstract scenery was made in a rich dominance of scarlet, crimson and vermilion that cancels the radiant white background layer.
1977 Untitled VIII
2013 SOLD for $ 32M by Christie's
De Kooning reuses in his 1977 Untitled series his previous style of partitioned composition covering all the available surface, as boundless as a Pollock painting. The observer continuously discovers new details by varying the reading trip.
The Untitled II of 1977, 196 x 224 cm, expresses the colors and balances of nature while bringing an additional theme : the body of a woman who is peacefully reclining in the foreground offers a rare reminder from the Woman series which had brought to the artist his unfairly sulphurous notoriety a quarter of a century earlier.
The Untitled VIII from 1977, oil on canvas 178 x 203 cm, was sold for $ 32M from a lower estimate of $ 20M by Christie's on November 12, 2013, lot 37. In this scenery the bright blues of sky and sea are confronting the vibrant flashes of red, yellow and orange of the ground.
This painting is a rare synthesis of all the research by De Kooning at the border between biomorphic and abstraction. In the foreground on the right, the structure in the form of inverted S is a woman sitting in nature. This discovery makes in turn perceive another woman and then the perspective of a landscape.
Through the doubts and changes in his career, De Kooning, away from any school, had never given up his goal to express altogether the body, the soul and the landscape. At over 70 years old, he had also become the most skilled colorist of his time.
The Untitled II of 1977, 196 x 224 cm, expresses the colors and balances of nature while bringing an additional theme : the body of a woman who is peacefully reclining in the foreground offers a rare reminder from the Woman series which had brought to the artist his unfairly sulphurous notoriety a quarter of a century earlier.
The Untitled VIII from 1977, oil on canvas 178 x 203 cm, was sold for $ 32M from a lower estimate of $ 20M by Christie's on November 12, 2013, lot 37. In this scenery the bright blues of sky and sea are confronting the vibrant flashes of red, yellow and orange of the ground.
This painting is a rare synthesis of all the research by De Kooning at the border between biomorphic and abstraction. In the foreground on the right, the structure in the form of inverted S is a woman sitting in nature. This discovery makes in turn perceive another woman and then the perspective of a landscape.
Through the doubts and changes in his career, De Kooning, away from any school, had never given up his goal to express altogether the body, the soul and the landscape. At over 70 years old, he had also become the most skilled colorist of his time.
1977 Untitled XXII
2019 SOLD for $ 30M by Sotheby's
As 1977 goes forward, de Kooning's paintings gradually lose their last references to human beings and even to landscape. Before deciding whether a painting suits him, he looks at it from every angle, including by overturning it.
On November 14, 2019, Sotheby's sold for $ 30M the Untitled XXII of 1977, lot 13. This oil on canvas 178 x 203 cm expresses with high energy the forces of nature by the violence of the brush strokes. The usual floating forms unite here in a sort of irregular grid over the luminous background which may here evoke the grey light on a tumultuous ocean.
The Untitled XXXI of 1977, oil on canvas 137 x 152 cm, was sold for $ 21M by Christie's on May 13, 2014, lot 39.
The Untitled XXXIII of 1977, oil on canvas 152 x 137 cm, was sold for $ 24.4M by Sotheby's on November 15, 2021, lot 3. This fully abstract opus displays on its whole surface a rhythmic collision of peach, pink and crimson with no outline, in a surrounding of white, red, green, blue and yellow that altogether express the atmosphere and light that the artist so much loved in East Hampton.
On November 14, 2019, Sotheby's sold for $ 30M the Untitled XXII of 1977, lot 13. This oil on canvas 178 x 203 cm expresses with high energy the forces of nature by the violence of the brush strokes. The usual floating forms unite here in a sort of irregular grid over the luminous background which may here evoke the grey light on a tumultuous ocean.
The Untitled XXXI of 1977, oil on canvas 137 x 152 cm, was sold for $ 21M by Christie's on May 13, 2014, lot 39.
The Untitled XXXIII of 1977, oil on canvas 152 x 137 cm, was sold for $ 24.4M by Sotheby's on November 15, 2021, lot 3. This fully abstract opus displays on its whole surface a rhythmic collision of peach, pink and crimson with no outline, in a surrounding of white, red, green, blue and yellow that altogether express the atmosphere and light that the artist so much loved in East Hampton.
1979 the Monet
2022 SOLD for $ 35M by Sotheby's
In 1977 Willem de Kooning was busy to interpret in abstraction the scintillating colors of landscape, sea and sky around his home at East Hampton.
That creative activity was followed with a reduced output after he fell once again in 1978 in alcoholism and anxiety. The rarity of de Kooning's art in 1979 and 1980 attests of the sustained psychological difficulty of the artist then in his mid 70s. They have been made still scarcer by his practice to scrap his own work when it did not match his expectancies.
From their beginnings in the 1940s, de Kooning and Gorky used to deny the influence of previous art and their belonging to a trend or to school. They indeed expressed their own feelings.
An oil on canvas 178 x 200 cm painted ca 1979 is a turning point in de Kooning's creativity. He managed to transfer to abstraction the colors of water mirroring the sky in Monet's Nymphéas. Its balance of brilliant saturated dominant blue with yellow and their combined green. The technique is a mix of impasto applied and removed with the knife and of thinned paint in combinations of solvents, reflecting the rapid gesture and the energy of the arm.
This Untitled was dubbed 'the Monet' and treasured by his daughter and grandchildren. They said : It was a window, we had the sea in the studio. Directly from that provenance, it was sold for $ 35M by Sotheby's on November 16, 2022, lot 108. Please watch the video shared by the auction house.
That creative activity was followed with a reduced output after he fell once again in 1978 in alcoholism and anxiety. The rarity of de Kooning's art in 1979 and 1980 attests of the sustained psychological difficulty of the artist then in his mid 70s. They have been made still scarcer by his practice to scrap his own work when it did not match his expectancies.
From their beginnings in the 1940s, de Kooning and Gorky used to deny the influence of previous art and their belonging to a trend or to school. They indeed expressed their own feelings.
An oil on canvas 178 x 200 cm painted ca 1979 is a turning point in de Kooning's creativity. He managed to transfer to abstraction the colors of water mirroring the sky in Monet's Nymphéas. Its balance of brilliant saturated dominant blue with yellow and their combined green. The technique is a mix of impasto applied and removed with the knife and of thinned paint in combinations of solvents, reflecting the rapid gesture and the energy of the arm.
This Untitled was dubbed 'the Monet' and treasured by his daughter and grandchildren. They said : It was a window, we had the sea in the studio. Directly from that provenance, it was sold for $ 35M by Sotheby's on November 16, 2022, lot 108. Please watch the video shared by the auction house.
Special Report
Late Paintings
Willem de Kooning's late paintings (primarily 1980–1987, with the peak lyrical style crystallizing in 1983–1985) have seen rising auction appreciation in recent years. Once viewed as somewhat undervalued or uneven due to the artist's health challenges (including Alzheimer's onset), these works—characterized by luminous white grounds, fluid ribbon-like or calligraphic strokes, and prismatic color accents evoking light, water, and motion—are now recognized as a vital, innovative capstone to his career.
They command solid seven- to eight-figure prices, with preference for larger, fully resolved canvases from the early-to-mid 1980s. The 1970s abstracts (often denser and more muscular) frequently outperform pure late-1980s pieces, but 1983 works in particular have set benchmarks for the ethereal late style.
Notable High Auction Results for Late 1980s de Kooning Paintings
Here are some of the strongest publicly reported results for works from roughly 1983–1987 (prices include premium where specified; results can vary by condition, provenance, and market timing):
Market Context and Trends
They command solid seven- to eight-figure prices, with preference for larger, fully resolved canvases from the early-to-mid 1980s. The 1970s abstracts (often denser and more muscular) frequently outperform pure late-1980s pieces, but 1983 works in particular have set benchmarks for the ethereal late style.
Notable High Auction Results for Late 1980s de Kooning Paintings
Here are some of the strongest publicly reported results for works from roughly 1983–1987 (prices include premium where specified; results can vary by condition, provenance, and market timing):
- Untitled IV (1983): Sold for $18.9 million at Sotheby's New York, November 15, 2021 (Macklowe Collection, lot 17). This large-scale work (approx. 88 x 77 inches / 223.5 x 195.6 cm) exemplifies the classic late style with sweeping, luminous gestures on a pale ground. It remains one of the highest auction results for a pure 1980s de Kooning and set a strong benchmark for the period.
- Untitled XLVIII (1983): Sold for approx. HK$47 million (roughly $6 million USD at the time) at Sotheby's Hong Kong, April 2021. A large canvas (223.5 x 195.6 cm) with undulating red and yellow forms, highlighting the vibrant, almost graphic energy possible in the early late period.
- Stowaway (1986): Sold for $7.2 million at Sotheby's New York, May 2021. Measuring approx. 80 x 70 inches (203 x 178 cm), this work features more intricate, interwoven forms with subtle color contrasts on a luminous field.
- The Hat Upstairs (1987): Sold for $10.7 million at Sotheby's New York, November 2022 (from the de Kooning family collection). One of the artist's final active-year paintings, noted for its floating colored forms against white, representing the distilled, airy end of the late style.
- Untitled III (1986): Sold privately for $9 million via Hauser & Wirth (reported around 2024, in the context of Art Basel Hong Kong). This underscores growing private-market demand for strong mid-to-late 1980s examples.
Market Context and Trends
- Peak vs. Late 1980s: The absolute highest prices for de Kooning at auction belong to 1950s masterpieces (e.g., Woman as Landscape at $68.9M in 2018) and strong 1970s abstracts (e.g., Untitled XXV 1977 at $66.3M in 2016; several others in the $20–30M range). Late-1970s/early-1980s transitional works (like a c.1979 Untitled at $30M in 2022) bridge these, often fetching more than pure 1986–1987 pieces due to scale, vibrancy, and perceived "completeness."
- Appreciation: 1980s works have gained traction since the 2010s, with critics and collectors now celebrating their lightness, economy, and lyrical quality as a deliberate evolution rather than decline. Fresh-to-market examples with strong provenance (e.g., single-owner collections like Macklowe or Mnuchin) perform best. The upcoming May 2026 Sotheby's sale of Untitled XLII (1983, 80 x 70 inches, with blue/red/pink/violet passages on white, from the Mnuchin collection) is positioned as the most significant late de Kooning to hit auction since Untitled IV, offering a direct market test.
- Factors Influencing Prices: Size (larger canvases ~80–88 inches command premiums), color harmony and luminosity, condition (late works can be delicate due to technique), and exhibition history. Rarity helps—de Kooning produced prolifically in 1983 but output slowed later.
