Woman III

Willem de Kooning • Painting, 1953, 172.7×123.2 cm
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About the artwork
This artwork was added since it is referred to in the materials below
Art form: Painting
Subject and objects: Portrait
Style of art: Abstract expressionism
Technique: Oil
Materials: Canvas
Date of creation: 1953
Size: 172.7×123.2 cm
Artwork in selections: 25 selections

Description of the artwork «Woman III»

Woman III is one of the most famous and most expensive paintings by Willem de Kooning. Like all the works from the Women series that were painted in the early 50s (1, 2, 3), it caused a lot of controversy. The artist’s nervous and aggressive manner, combined with such, to put it mildly, non-standard depiction of female nakedness, puzzled and frightened the public. De Kooning’s dealer later said that he worked on this series with some particular cruelty and he even left small holes in the canvas with his brush sometimes, furiously applying the strokes.

De Kooning’s “women” were dramatically different from any female depictions in Western art. They were aggressively sexual and terrifyingly outspoken. These women were too far from the stereotypical image of the submissive American housewife of the Cold War times. Deliberately abandoning this idealization, de Kooning created completely new heroines, who were considerably much more realistic, despite their abstractness.

Throughout his career, the artist has tirelessly studied the relationship between a subject and a background on canvas. His “women” became the ideal subject for such a study. De Kooning seemed to interfere, fuse the female figure into the surrounding space, combining the lines of her body with the background in long strokes. Moreover, the artist used the same colours and shades for the figure and its surroundings, making it dissolve in an indistinguishable environment.

Despite all the controversy and ambiguity, the painting was acquired by the Museum of Modern Art in Tehran in the 70s. However, after the 1979 revolution, strict rules regarding the visual arts were adopted in the country, and the canvas was quietly sold to business tycoon David Geffen. In 2006, at a private auction, Woman III was bought by billionaire Stephen Cohen. The canvas cost him $ 137.5 million, which made it one of the ten most expensive paintings in the world.

Written by Yevheniia Sidelnikova

Comments
Other artworks by this artist
Exchange (Interchange)
Exchange (Interchange)
1955, 200.7×175.3 cm
Research for the project in Williamsburg
Research for the project in Williamsburg
1936, 23.6×36.3 cm
Portrait Of Rene
Portrait Of Rene
1924, 56.5×46.3 cm
Woman
Woman
1944, 116.5×80.6 cm
Untitled XXV
Untitled XXV
1977, 195.7×223.5 cm
Untitled I
Untitled I
1985, 179.3×203.2 cm
A piece of paper
A piece of paper
1987, 177.8×203.2 cm
Untitled XIX
Untitled XIX
1982, 203.2×177.8 cm
Two women
Two women
1952, 47.9×61 cm
Spring woman II
Spring woman II
1961, 71.1×55.9 cm
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