Artist Keywords

Willem de Kooning

Willem de Kooning (1904 - 1997) was active/lived in New York / Netherlands, Germany.  Willem de Kooning is known for Abstract expressionist painting, figurative.

© 2007 The Willem de Kooning Foundation / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York

Willem de Kooning was born in Rotterdam, Holland on April 24, 1904.  His  father, Leenert, was a wine and beer distributor who won custody of young Willem when his parents separated about five years after his birth.  His mother, Cornelia Nobel de Kooning, ran a tough seamen's bar, and snatched the boy back soon after.  At the age of twelve, with  elementary school behind him, de Kooning entered an informal apprenticeship with commercial artists and designers, Jan and Jaay Gidding, who also provided his art  education.  They enrolled him in night courses at the Rotterdam Akademie voor Beeldende Kunsten en Wettenschappen, where he studied academic art and crafts. His first jobs were in commercial art, including a year in Belgium during which he visited museums and studied.

He came to the United States illegally in 1926 and settled in Hoboken, New Jersey, which had a large Dutch community, while he learned English.  He began his career as a h   ...  [Displaying 1000 of 15420 characters.]  Artist bio

Artist auction records

.  askART's database currently holds 1640 auction lots for Willem de Kooning (of which 1131 auction records sold and 1 are upcoming at auction.)

Artist artworks for sale and wanted

.  There are 1 artworks for sale on our website by galleries and art dealers . There are 13 galleries and art dealers listing works of art by Willem de Kooning as either "Wanted" or "For Sale" .

Research resources

.  askART lists Willem de Kooning in 3 of its research Essays. Willem de Kooning has 29 artist signature examples available in our database.

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