Definition

1. Proper noun:
   • Willem de Kooning: A renowned American painter of Dutch origin who was a leading figure in the Abstract Expressionist art movement. He is celebrated for his dynamic, gestural, and often figurative abstract works.

Usage Examples

• Proper noun:
  • The museum is hosting a major retrospective of de Kooning's work from the 1950s.
  • Art historians often discuss the influence of de Kooning on post-war American art.
  • Her painting style is frequently compared to that of de Kooning.

Advanced Usage

• "a de Kooning": Can be used informally to refer to a painting by Willem de Kooning.
  • The collector was thrilled to acquire an early de Kooning.
• Used in academic and artistic contexts to denote a specific style or period within Abstract Expressionism.
  • The lecture focused on the "Woman" series, a pivotal body of work in de Kooning's career.

Variants and Related Words

• De Kooningesque (adj): Resembling or characteristic of the style of Willem de Kooning.
  • The artist's bold, slashing brushstrokes are decidedly De Kooningesque.

Synonyms

• Abstract Expressionist painter: A general term for artists associated with the movement de Kooning helped lead.
• Action painter: A term often linked to de Kooning's vigorous, physical application of paint.

Related Phrases

• The New York School: The group of artists, including de Kooning, who were central to Abstract Expressionism in New York City.
• The Irascibles: A name given to a group of abstract artists, including de Kooning, who protested the Metropolitan Museum of Art's policies in 1950.

Related Idioms

Note: As a proper noun referring to a specific person, there are no idioms that use "de Kooning" itself. However, his name is used descriptively in art criticism. - To have a de Kooning moment: An informal, non-standard phrase that might be used in art circles to describe a burst of energetic, abstract painting. - After visiting the exhibition, she went back to the studio and had a real de Kooning moment.

Noun

1. United States painter (born in the Netherlands) who was a leading American exponent of abstract expressionism (1904-1997)