Willem de Kooning at Hirshhorn

Willem de Kooning

There is a contrast between the delicacy of the dessein of de Kooning and his dreadful women. On one side, poetry of lines and colors, on the other side provocative vulgarity and ugliness. I wouldn't be surprised to find in one of his works a case of vagina dentata.

Art critics have explained to us that in his depiction of women de Kooning gave voice to sexual dreads that are deeply nested in our subconscious.

Well, de Kooning is far from being the only master in the twentieth century to challenge us with terrifiant visions (Mihail Ralea has a study on the Ugliness in Art) ; I'd like to add something else regarding the works of de Kooning: his roads back and forth between abstract and figurative are fascinating.

Special Delivery, 1946
oil, enamel and charcoal on paper mounted on paperboard

Zurich, 1947
oil and charcoal on paper mounted on fiberboard

Secretary, 1948
oil and charcoal on paper mounted on fiberboard

Untitled, 1950
oil on paper

Untitled, 1959
oil and pencil on paperboard

Woman, 1962
oil on paper mounted on fiberboard

Two Standing Women,1963
oil and charcoal on paper mounted on canvas

Woman, 1963
oil and charcoal on paper mounted on canvas

Two Figures, 1964
oil on paper mounted on fiberboard

Woman, 1964
oil on paper mounted on fiberboard

Woman, 1964
oil, vellum mounted on paper mounted on fiberboard

Woman, Sag Harbor, 1964
oil and charcoal on wood

Woman, 1965
oil on wood

White Nude, 1967
oil on paper

(Hirshhorn Museum)

(Willem de Kooning)