Willem DE KOONING | Woman V

Willem DE KOONING
 The Netherlands 1904 – United States of America 1997

Woman V 1952-53 oil and charcoal on canvas
signed l.l., oil, "de Kooning", not dated
154.5 (h) x 114.5 (w) cm
Framed 1575 (h) x 1164 (w) x 55 (d) cm Purchased 1974 National Gallery of Australia, Canberra
NGA 1974.385 © Willem de Kooning/ARS. Licensed by Viscopy

  • the artist;
  • from whom bought through Sidney Janis Gallery, New York, by Mrs Maurice Culburg (later Mrs Arthur Rosenberg), Chicago, 1954;
  • from whom bought through Richard Gray Gallery, Chicago, by the Interim Council of the Australian National Gallery, August 1974
  • Willem de Kooning: Paintings on the Theme of the Woman
    • Sidney Janis Gallery 16 Mar 1953 – 11 Apr 1953
  • Sixty-first American Exhibition. Painting and Sculpture
    • The Art Institute of Chicago 21 Oct 1954 – 05 Dec 1954
  • The New York School, The First Generation: Paintings of the 1940s and 1950s
    • Los Angeles County Museum of Art 16 Jul 1965 – 01 Aug 1965
  • Willem de Kooning
    • Stedelijk Museum 19 Sep 1968 – 17 Nov 1968
    • Tate 05 Dec 1968 – 26 Jan 1969
    • The Museum of Modern Art 06 Mar 1969 – 27 Apr 1969
    • The Art Institute of Chicago 17 May 1969 – 06 Jul 1969
    • Los Angeles County Museum of Art 29 Jul 1969 – 14 Sep 1969
  • Willem de Kooning, 1941-1959
    • Richard Gray Gallery 04 Oct 1974 – 16 Nov 1974
  • Genesis of a Gallery 1976-77
    • Art Gallery of South Australia 06 Mar 1976 – 04 Apr 1976
    • Art Gallery of Western Australia 29 Apr 1976 – 20 May 1976
    • Art Gallery, NZV Building, Darwin 19 Jul 1976 – 02 Aug 1976
    • University of Queensland 30 Aug 1976 – 12 Sep 1976
    • Art Gallery of New South Wales 01 Oct 1976 – 24 Oct 1976
    • Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery 27 Jan 1977 – 20 Feb 1977
    • Australian National University 10 Mar 1977 – 03 Apr 1977
    • National Gallery of Victoria 21 Jul 1978 – 20 Aug 1978
  • American Art at Mid-Century: The Subjects of the Artist
    • National Gallery of Art, Washington 01 Jun 1978 – 14 Feb 1979
  • De Kooning and Dubuffet: The Women
    • The Pace Gallery 30 Nov 1990 – 19 Jan 1991
  • American Art in the Twentieth Century: Painting and Sculpture
    • Zeitgeist-Gesellschaft 08 May 1993 – 25 Jul 1993
    • Royal Academy of Arts 17 Sep 1993 – 12 Dec 1993
  • Willem de Kooning at the National Gallery of Australia
    • 13 Mar 1999 – 30 May 1999
  • Painting laid bare. Picasso, Dubuffet, de Kooning, Bacon, Saura.
    • Museo de Bellas Artes de Bilbao 04 Jun 2001 – 19 Aug 2001
  • Out & About: the National Gallery tours Australia - De Kooning
    • Art Gallery of New South Wales 09 Dec 2002 – 09 Mar 2003
  • De Kooning: A Retrospective
    • The Museum of Modern Art 18 Sep 2011 – 09 Jan 2012
  • Women. Pablo Picasso, Max Beckmann, Willem de Kooning
    • Pinakothek der moderne 30 Mar 2012 – 15 Jul 2012
  • Abstract Expressionism: the National Gallery of Australia celebrates the centenaries of Jackson Pollock and Morris Louis
    • 14 Jul 2012 – 24 Feb 2013
  • 61st American exhibition: Painting and sculpture, Art Institute of Chicago 1954, cat. 36, illus. b&w;
  • Thomas B. Hess, Willem de Kooning, New York: George Braziller 1959, illus. pl. 124;
  • New York School, The first generation: Paintings of the 1940s and 1950s, Los Angeles County Museum of Art 1965, cat. 16, p. 65, illus. b&w p. 74;
  • Sidney Tillim, 'The figure and the figurative in Abstract Expressionism', Artforum vol. 4 no. 1, September 1965, pp. 45–48, illus.
  • Maurice Tuchman ed., The New York School: The first generation, Greenwich, Conn.: New York Graphic Society 1965, p. 54, illus., a revised edition of the original catalogue for the exhibition The New York school, the first generation: paintings of the 1940s and 1950s, Los Angeles: Los Angeles County Museum of Art 1965, p. 65, illus. b&w, cat. 16, p. 74 as collection ‘Mrs Arthur C. Rosenberg’; also published as The New York School: Abstract Expressionism in the 40s and 50s, London: Thames and Hudson 1970, illus. fig. 17;
  • Thomas B. Hess, Willem de Kooning, New York: The Museum of Modern Art for the Arts Council of Great Britain 1968, cat. 59, illus.;
  • Gabriella Drudi, Willem de Kooning, Milan: Fratelli Fabbri Editore 1972, illus. pl. 82;
  • Franz Schulze, 'Reflections on de Kooning', Artnews vol. 73 no. 9, November 1974, pp. 46–47, illus.;
  • Willem de Kooning, 1941–1959, Chicago: Richard Gray Gallery 1974, cat. 1, illus. col. frontispiece;
  • George Dickerson, 'The man who painted "Woman V" ', Australian Women's Weekly, 4 December 1974, pp. 6–7, illus. col.;
  • Harold Rosenberg, De Kooning, New York: Harry N. Abrams 1974, illus. col. pl. 116;
  • Elwyn Lynn, 'The 1976 Adelaide Festival and two spectacular women', Art International vol. 20 no. 6, Summer 1976, pp. 21–25, 52–53, illus. p. 22;
  • Genesis of a Gallery, Canberra: the Australian Government Publishing Service for the Australian National Gallery 1976, pp. [20–21], illus. col.;
  • Thomas B Hess, 'Four pictures by de Kooning at Canberra', Art and Australia vol. 14 no. 3 & 4, January–April 1977, pp. 289–96, illus. col.;
  • Patrick McCaughy, ‘The modern period and the Australian National Gallery’, Art and Australia vol. 14 no. 3 & 4, January–April 1977, p. 274;
  • Genesis of a Gallery: Collection of the Australian National Gallery, Canberra: Australian Government Publishing Service 1976, p. 20–21, illus., col.;
  • Laura Murray, ed., Australian National Gallery, Canberra: Australian National Gallery 1982, p. 29, illus., col.;
  • James Mollison and Laura Murray eds, Australian National Gallery: An introduction, Canberra: Australian National Gallery, 1982, p. 64–65, illus., col.;
  • Paul Cummings, Jörn Merkert and Claire Stoullig, Willem de Kooning: Drawings paintings sculpture, New York: Whitney Museum of American Art, in association with Munich: Prestel-Verlag, and New York and London: W.W. Norton and Co. 1983, cat. 195, illus. col. p. 182 (not in exhibition), German edition issued as Willem de Kooning, Retrospektive: Zeichnungen, Gemälde, Skulpturen, Munich: Prestel-Verlag and Berlin: Akademie der Künste 1984, cat. 195, illus. col. p. 182 (not in exhibition), French edition issued as Willem de Kooning, Paris: Centre Georges Pompidou 1984, illus. col. p. 100 (not in exhibition);
  • Harry F. Gaugh, Willem de Kooning, New York: Abbeville Press 1983, pp. 8, 55, 56, illus. col. p. 6 and front cover (detail);
  • Diane Waldman, Willem de Kooning, New York and London: Harry N. Abrams 1988, pp. 92, 97, illus. col. p. 96 (and illus. col. front cover, London edition);
  • Willem de Kooning, Jean Dubuffet: The women, New York: Pace Gallery 1990, cat. 21, illus. col.;
  • David Christos Cateforis, Willem De Kooning’s “Women” of the 1950s: A critical history of their reception and interpretation, PhD thesis, Stanford University 1992, illus. b&w p. 357;
  • Michael Lloyd and Michael Desmond, European and American paintings and sculptures 1870–1970 in the Australian National Gallery, Canberra: Australian National Gallery 1992, pp. 256–259, illus. col.;
  • An introduction to the National Gallery of Australia,Canberra: National Gallery of Australia 1992, p. 68, illus. col.;
  • Donald Williams and Barbara Vance Wilson, From caves to canvas: An introduction to Western art,Sydney: McGraw-Hill 1992, pp. 255–256 illus. col., 2nd ed. 1998, pp. 301–302, illus. col.;
  • David Lee, ‘American Art: The Good, the Bad and Julian Schnabel’, Art Review vol. 45, November 1993, pp. 32–38, p. 33, illus. col.;
  • Judith Zilczer, Willem de Kooning: From the Hirshhorn Museum collection, Washington: Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden and New York: Rizzoli 1993, p. 48, illus. b&w fig. 28;
  • Willem de Kooning: Contemporary great masters series, Tokyo: Kodansha 1993, illus. col. pl. 21;
  • Christos M. Joachimides and Norman Rosenthal eds, American art in the twentieth century: Painting and sculpture, Munich: Prestel-Verlag, London: Royal Academy of Arts, Berlin: Zeitgeist-Gesellschaft 1993, illus. col. p. 89;
  • David Sylvester and Richard Shiff, Willem de Kooning: Paintings, Washington: National Gallery of Art 1994, p. 128, illus. col. p. 142 (cat. 30, not in exhibition);
  • Acquisitions policy, Canberra: National Gallery of Australia, 1994, p. 50, illus. b&w;
  • Lina Tesoriero and Barbara Brinton, Exploring art at the National Gallery of Australia, Canberra: National Gallery of Australia, 1994, schools edition, p. 16, illus. b&w;
  • Christies, New York, Contemporary art (part I), Tuesday 18 November 1997, illus. b&w p. 106, fig. 1;
  • Michael Desmond, ‘Willem de Kooning 1904–1997: An appreciation’ artonview no. 10, Winter 1997, pp. 29–31, illus. col.;
  • An introduction to the collection, Canberra: National Gallery of Australia 1998, p. 51, illus. col. p. 40;
  • Daniel Belgrad, The culture of spontaneity: Improvisation and the arts in postwar America, Chicago: University of Chicago Press 1998, illus. col. pl. 2, Ukrainian version published 2009, pl. illus. col., after p. 256;
  • Lucina Ward, ‘A dame, some clams and the broad: Willem de Kooning at the NGA’, artonview no. 17, Autumn 1999, pp. 26–28, illus. col.;
  • Catherine J. Morris, The essential Willem de Kooning, New York: Abrams 1999, illus. col. p. 68 and illus. col. cover (detail);
  • Roland Dorn et al., Vincent van Gogh: Face to face, Detroit Institute of Arts 2000, illus. col. p. 245;
  • Richard Morphet, Encounters: New art from old, London: National Gallery Company 2000, p. 17, illus. col. p. 15;
  • Mildred Glimcher ed., Adventures in art: 40 years at Pace, Milan: Leonardo International and New York: Distributed Art Publishers 2001, illus. col. p. 415 as installed in Willem de Kooning, Jean Dubuffet: The women, Pace Gallery, New York, 30 November 1990 – 5 January 1991;
  • Cornelia Butler and Paul Schimmel, Willem de Kooning: Tracing the figure, Los Angeles Museum of Contemporary Art 2002, pp. 149–150;
  • Anthony White, ‘Art metropolis: A new display of international art’ in artonview no. 32, Summer 2002–2003, p. 20, illus. col.;
  • artonview no. 34, Winter 2003, p. 35, illus. col.;
  • Barbara Hess, William de Kooning1904–1997: Content as a glimpse, Cologne: Taschen 2004, p. 39, p. 87, p. 94, illus. col.;
  • Brian Kennedy, ‘The art of Sean Scully: a human spirituality’, Sean Scully: Body of light, Canberra: National Gallery of Australia 2004, p. 11, illus. col.;
  • Ron Radford ed., Collectionhighlights, Canberra: National Gallery of Australia 2008, p. 232, illus. col.;
  • John Elderfield, et al., DeKooning: A Retrospective, New York: Museum of Modern Art, 2011, cat. 94, p. 274, p. 281, illus. col. p. 275;
  • Carla Schulz-Hoffmann (ed.), Women: Pablo Picasso, Max Beckmann, Willem de Kooning, Munich: Pinakothek der Moderne 2012, cat. 16, p. 45, 56, 92–93 illus col, 247, 329, illus col. (det.), p.2;

Woman V isone of a series of six paintings, made by de Kooning between 1950 and 1953, which depict a three-quarter‑length female figure. He began the first, Woman I,[1] in June 1950, repeatedly changing and painting out the image until January or February 1952, when the work was abandoned, unfinished. The art historian Meyer Schapiro saw the painting in de Kooning’s studio and encouraged the artist to persist. De Kooning's response was to begin three other paintings on the same theme: Woman II,[2] Woman III[3] and Woman IV.[4]During the summer of 1952, de Kooning used drawings and pastels to further explore the theme. He may have finished work on Woman I by the end of June, or possibly as late as November 1952, and it is likely that the other three women pictures were concluded at much the same time.

With this group of four paintings near completion, de Kooning began painting Woman V in the autumn of 1952. It was finished in time to be shown at the Sidney Janis Gallery in March 1953. The six paintings, exhibited together for the first time, caused consternation among many artists and critics who felt that de Kooning had betrayed the ideals of abstraction. De Kooning indicated that the Mesopotamian figurines on display at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, had influenced him. The wide eyes, smiles, prominent breasts and tapering arms of these figures are echoed in the features of de Kooning’s women.[5] At the other end of the time spectrum, the grinning mouths that are displayed by all the women in this series seem to have their origins in de Kooning's habit of cutting out the mouths of magazine pin-ups and attaching them to his work.

Unlike Woman I and Woman II, which depict a seated figure, the other paintings in this series show the figure in a standing pose. Woman V is also related to Woman IV and Woman VI[6]in that the figure is standing in what appears to be water. A blue field surrounds the legs of Woman IV and Woman VI,and a transparent blue‑green glaze covers the legs of Woman V.As Woman V is not informed by the summer pastels of Woman IV,another source has been suggested by Thomas B. Hess: Rembrandt's painting A woman bathing in a stream 1655.[7] Although the hands of Woman V are now clasped together at the waist, they were once arranged at each side in a gesture similar to that of the figure in Rembrandt's painting, who holds up her skirt to clear the water as she wades. De Kooning had not seen the picture himself, but it had been widely reproduced, appearing in an article published in Artnews in February 1952 about the cleaning of Old Master paintings at the National Gallery, London. When working on the Woman series Kooning stated that the paintings ‘reminded me very much of my childhood being in Holland, near all that water.’[8]

Michael Lloyd and Michael Desmond, European and American paintings and sculptures 1870–1970 in the Australian National Gallery, Canberra: Australian National Gallery 1992, pp. 256–259, revised Lucina Ward 2003

[1]The Museum of Modern Art, New York. Rudolph Burckhardt’s photographs of Woman I in progress are often reproduced; see, for example, Paul Cummings, Jörn Merkert and Claire Stoullig, Willem de Kooning: Drawings paintings sculpture, New York: Whitney Museum of American Art, in association with Munich: Prestel-Verlag, and New York and London: W.W. Norton and Co. 1983, p. 176.

[2]The Museum of Modern Art, New York

[3] Collection David Geffen, Los Angeles (previously Tehran Museum of Contemporary Art)

[4]Nelson Gallery–Atkins Museum, Kansas City

[5]Sally Yard, 'Willem de Kooning's Women', in Arts Magazine vol. 53 no. 3, November 1978, pp. 96–100; Yard draws attention to particular figurines that were displayed at the Metropolitan Museum at this time. She further comments on similarities between the women (particularly Woman V) andcycladic female figures, which were familiar to de Kooning through reproductions in Cahiers d’Art and as a frontispiece to John Graham's System and dialectics of art, New York: Delphic Studios 1937, p. 100, n. 22.

[6] Carnegie Museum of Art, Pittsburgh, Gift of G. David Thompson

[7]Thomas B. Hess, 'Four Pictures by de Kooning at Canberra', Art and Australia vol. 14 nos 3 & 4, 4 January–April 1977, pp. 289–296. Rembrandt's A woman bathing in a stream 1655 is in the National Gallery, London.

[8]Harold Rosenberg, 'Interview with de Kooning', Artnews vol. 71 no. 5, September 1972, p. 57.

As well as two oil paintings on canvas and two oils on paper, the National Gallery of Australia holds the artist’s proof of the de Kooning – Harold Rosenberg collaboration Revenge (New York: Morris Gallery 1960), an early lithograph, Clam digger 1967. It also holds the set of artist’s proofs of the lithographs that were made by de Kooning at the Hollander Workshop, New York, 1970–71, one of his bronze multiples (5/100) dated 1972, and a pastel, charcoal and pencil drawing Untitled (Figures in landscape) 1974.