"Woman V," 1952-53
Willem de Kooning

"de Kooning's Angel," 2004
Kirby Kendrick

Grotesque!  Chaotic!  Jolly!  Depraved!  Alluring!  Sexually aggressive!

These are feelings people have about the work of Dutchman, Willem de Kooning (1904-1997)- especially about his depictions of women. The above work, “Woman V,” took de Kooning 2 years of painting, scraping, ripping and re-painting…the year 1952. Notice his brush strokes, his color, the way he almost attacks the canvas. What a painting! In 1986, he was awarded the National Medal of Arts, and in 2006 one of his series of “Woman” sold for $137.5 million. What is your reaction to this painting?

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