Woman

series by de Kooning

Written by

The Information Architects of Encyclopaedia Britannica

Last updated

July 15, 2026

Quick Summary

Willem de Kooning's Woman series, created in the early 1950s, is a significant body of work within Abstract Expressionism. Unlike many of his contemporaries who focused on pure abstraction, de Kooning insisted on retaining a figurative element.12

The Woman paintings, such as Woman I, are characterized by their visceral imagery and energetic, often violent, technique. De Kooning depicted the female form with bold, gestural brushstrokes, sometimes resulting in a distorted or even menacing appearance. Critics have interpreted these works as expressions of Freudian anxieties and societal fears surrounding women. Despite the controversy, the series solidified de Kooning's reputation as a leading figure in American art.12

Summary created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.

2 Britannica Sources

Ask Britannica AI about this topic

Britannica doesn't have a full article on this topic, so we've curated a list of our relevant coverage.

Action painting
…brushstrokes of de Kooning’s “Woman” series, begun in the early 1950s, successfully evolved a richly emotive expressive style. Action painting was of major importance throughout the 1950s in Abstract Expressionism, the most-influential art movement at the time in the United States. By the end of the decade, however, leadership…
Read More
…brushstrokes of de Kooning’s “Woman” series, begun in the early 1950s, successfully evolved a richly emotive expressive style. Action painting was of major importance throughout the 1950s in Abstract Expressionism, the most-influential art movement at the time in the United States. By the end of the decade, however, leadership…
Read More

Willem de Kooning
Mature works
…of that year he began Woman I, which went through innumerable metamorphoses before it was finished in 1952. During that period he also created other paintings of women. Those works were shown at the Sidney Janis Gallery in 1953 and caused a sensation, chiefly because they were figurative when most…
Read More
…of that year he began Woman I, which went through innumerable metamorphoses before it was finished in 1952. During that period he also created other paintings of women. Those works were shown at the Sidney Janis Gallery in 1953 and caused a sensation, chiefly because they were figurative when most…
Read More