Willem de Kooning at work: the abstract expressionist "returns" to his home

Willem de Kooning’s artwork will return to his birthplace after more than a century, with nearly 120 pieces set to go on display at Amsterdam’s Rijksmuseum starting October 9. The exhibition, titled Willem de Kooning pri delu (Willem de Kooning at Work), will run through January 17, 2027. It marks the first major retrospective of the artist’s career in the Netherlands, where he was born in 1904 before moving to the United States in 1926. His works, which span decades of abstract expressionism and figurative painting, will offer visitors a comprehensive look at his creative evolution from Rotterdam to New York. The exhibition will feature a wide range of de Kooning’s output, including paintings, drawings, and sculptures. Among the highlights will be his famous series of female figures created in the early 1950s, known as Woman I, VI. These works sparked controversy and debate within the art world at the time, as they represented a shift toward figurative representation in a movement dominated by abstraction. Critics initially struggled with their raw emotional intensity, comparing them to the horrors depicted in Goya’s The Disasters of War and Picasso’s Guernica. Despite this, the series became one of de Kooning’s most iconic contributions to modern art. Born in Rotterdam, de Kooning moved to the U.S. in 1926 and remained there for the rest of his life, eventually becoming a U.S. citizen in 1962. He was among the leading figures of the Abstract Expressionist movement, particularly associated with Action Painting, a term coined by critic Harold Rosenberg, who linked it directly to de Kooning’s dynamic brushwork. Rosenberg once described de Kooning’s depictions of women as central to themes of desire, frustration, inner conflict, and pleasure, while also serving as a challenge to the artist’s own creative process. De Kooning’s work often blended figuration with abstraction, a style that evolved significantly over his lifetime. In the 1930s and 1940s, he produced both figurative and abstract works, but it wasn’t until 1945 that he began to merge these elements into a unique visual language. His Woman series, painted in the early 1950s, marked a turning point in his career and solidified his reputation as a key figure in American modernism. Though he later focused more on landscapes, the female form remained a defining motif throughout his oeuvre. The Rijksmuseum exhibition will trace de Kooning’s artistic journey from the Netherlands to the United States, highlighting how his work diverged from prevailing stylistic norms in America. His studio on Long Island became a hub of creativity, where he continued to push boundaries with bold compositions that combined drawing and painting. Over several decades, his practice reflected a deep engagement with human emotion, form, and the complexities of existence. De Kooning’s legacy extends beyond his individual achievements. As part of the New York School, he helped elevate the city, and the United States, as a global center for contemporary visual art. Unlike many of his contemporaries, however, he lived to an advanced age, passing away in 1997 due to complications from Alzheimer’s disease. Several of his peers, such as Arshile Gorky, Jackson Pollock, and Franz Kline, died prematurely under tragic circumstances. The Rijksmuseum has emphasized that the exhibition will provide insight into de Kooning’s personal and professional development, showcasing the full breadth of his artistic vision. Visitors will have the opportunity to see how his early influences from the Netherlands shaped his later innovations in New York. The museum’s website notes that the show will include rare works and previously unseen materials, offering a deeper understanding of de Kooning’s creative process and the cultural context in which he worked. The exhibition opens in October 2026 and will remain on view through January 2027, giving ample time for international audiences to experience de Kooning’s work in its home country. The timing coincides with growing interest in the history of modern art and the enduring influence of Abstract Expressionism. The Rijksmuseum has confirmed that all necessary preparations are underway, with curators working closely with experts to ensure the exhibition accurately reflects de Kooning’s contributions to 20th-century art.