DE KOONING

Dutch-born American painter Willem de Kooning (1904-1997) was a leader ofthe abstract expressionist movement. Inspired by Arshile Gorky to abandonthe realist style that had dominated his work in the 1930s, he beganexperimenting with abstraction in the 1940s and quickly gained criticalsuccess. His monumental Woman series of the 1950s - characterized by wildcolor and aggressive overtones - was received with both controversy andacclaim. He continued to paint until the late 1980s, leaving behind a vastand impressive body of work.