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de Kooning: An American Master

4.14 of 5 stars 4.14 · rating details · 1,034 ratings · 93 reviews

Willem de Kooning is one of the most important artists of the twentieth century, a true “painter’s painter” whose protean work continues to inspire many artists. In the thirties and forties, along with Arshile Gorky and Jackson Pollock, he became a key figure in the revolutionary American movement of abstract expressionism. Of all the painters in that group, he worked the...more Willem de Kooning is one of the most important artists of the twentieth century, a true “painter’s painter” whose protean work continues to inspire many artists. In the thirties and forties, along with Arshile Gorky and Jackson Pollock, he became a key figure in the revolutionary American movement of abstract expressionism. Of all the painters in that group, he worked the longest and was the most prolific, creating powerful, startling images well into the 1980s.

The first major biography of de Kooning captures both the life and work of this complex, romantic figure in American culture. Ten years in the making, and based on previously unseen letters and documents as well as on hundreds of interviews, this is a fresh, richly detailed, and masterful portrait. The young de Kooning overcame an unstable, impoverished, and often violent early family life to enter the Academie in Rotterdam, where he learned both classic art and guild techniques. Arriving in New York as a stowaway from Holland in 1926, he underwent a long struggle to become a painter and an American, developing a passionate friendship with his fellow immigrant Arshile Gorky, who was both a mentor and an inspiration. During the Depression, de Kooning emerged as a central figure in the bohemian world of downtown New York, surviving by doing commercial work and painting murals for the WPA. His first show at the Egan Gallery in 1948 was a revelation. Soon, the critics Harold Rosenberg and Thomas Hess were championing his work, and de Kooning took his place as the charismatic leader of the New York school—just as American art began to dominate the international scene.

Dashingly handsome and treated like a movie star on the streets of downtown New York, de Kooning had a tumultuous marriage to Elaine de Kooning, herself a fascinating character of the period. At the height of his fame, he spent his days painting powerful abstractions and intense, disturbing pictures of the female figure—and his nights living on the edge, drinking, womanizing, and talking at the Cedar bar with such friends as Franz Kline and Frank O’Hara. By the 1960s, exhausted by the feverish art world, he retreated to the Springs on Long Island, where he painted an extraordinary series of lush pastorals. In the 1980s, as he slowly declined into what was almost certainly Alzheimer’s, he created a vast body of haunting and ethereal late work.

This is an authoritative and brilliant exploration of the art, life, and world of an American master.

From the Hardcover edition.(less)

Paperback, 752 pages

Published April 4th 2006 by Knopf (first published 2004)

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Jan 12, 2009 Laurel rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: favorites

Before I read this book, I rarely read straight-up biographies. I think the last one I read was a bio of Sylvia Plath I waded though in the tenth grade for an essay I was writing on her (oh yes, I was so tortured). I still recall bits and pieces from that bio, but I didn't crave all things biography after I'd finished. I think I went to track practice and forgot about it.

This book has singlehandedly renewed my faith in the biography. I have never been in love with de Kooning's paintings, but I...more

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Oct 17, 2007 Anthony rated it 2 of 5 stars

I know this book got great reviews, and I hate to be the sand in the works, but I found it to be kind of creaky. The biographical information was presented in a fairly straightforward way ... interesting, but the writing was only on the level of good journalism. Each chapter concludes with a discussion of one of DeKooning's major works from the period covered. These I found painful, the worst kind of foggy, bum-kissing artspeak. (That's just my opinion; lots of people disagreed.) The one thing t...more

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Mar 27, 2009 Jamie rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: true-stuff-and-criticism

This is a brilliant biography. I only read it because I thought de Kooning was like a lesser Pollack but there wasn't a hefty definitive Pollack bio lying about at my boyfriend's parents' house, and this one was. But Mark Stevens writes the most readable, intriguing portrait of de Kooning, making you realize that there is so much more to this abstract painter. For one, he was a totally skilled draftsman. He just shifted to abstract expressionism and, late in life, sculpture. I think that it's so...more

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Dec 30, 2012 Louise rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: biography, artists, pulitzer-prize-winning-author

The two authors have devoted a good piece of their lives to documenting deKooing's. The book clearly focuses on the artist and his artistic legacy. A byproduct of this giant effort is a history of America's emergence in the world of art. The authors show how a small group of literally starving artists survived, and how and why deKooning reaped worldwide recognition and wealth as he became the literal survivor.

There are many striking things about deKooning's story. The first is the total deprivat...more The two authors have devoted a good piece of their lives to documenting deKooing's. The book clearly focuses on the artist and his artistic legacy. A byproduct of this giant effort is a history of America's emergence in the world of art. The authors show how a small group of literally starving artists survived, and how and why deKooning reaped worldwide recognition and wealth as he became the literal survivor.

There are many striking things about deKooning's story. The first is the total deprivation of love and support he suffered as a child. The last is the long goodbye which he said through the fog of alcoholism and Alzheimer's.

The authors stick with deKooning, his art, his personal life, his success and failure and his impact in the art world. They are neutral and do not assess him as he throws drinks at people, breaks furniture and humiliates intimate friends.

DeKooning's manner of raising his daughter is attributed to his abusive birth family, but the authors make no comment on its most probable impact on the unstable relationships with women (which he cannot sever) and give only a passing mention of its potential influence in creating his visually misogynistic "Woman" paintings.

Other absent themes of the book are the historic events outside the art world. Pearl Harbor, the McCarthy witch hunts and the JFK assassination are hardly (or not) mentioned. World War II has a mention as Rotterdam is burned, but this is dropped. Pages later, when his Dutch family re-surfaces there is no description of their (or much related to the war or about deKooning's) war experience.

I do like a book that sticks to its mission, and this one does, so I while I'd like to know more of the psychology of deKooning and the impact of major events on him and his art, the authors stay with their expertise. I give them 5 stars for their research and ability to present it in a readable way. I hope that others will take on these other aspects of, perhaps, the most provocative artist of the 20th century. (less)

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Aug 05, 2011 Anita Macauslan rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: biographic

This is certainly an informative read and I would recommend it to anyone who is a fan of de Kooning's work. That sad, it needs to be taken with a grain of salt. I found the writers jumping to a number of conclusions and making a lot of inferences (mostly regarding his relationships and emotions) without anything to back them up. (i.e. - "Though he never said so, it may have been that de Kooning felt..." and we have a page or so of unconfirmed emotional turmoil.) Also, they seem to spend far more...more

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Sep 28, 2010 Nathan rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: history, franklin-library

An art biography whose strengths lie mostly in its treatment of the non-artistic aspects of de Kooning's life. Beginning with a classic and finely-rendered account of de Kooning's experience as an immigrant and moving slowly but purposefully to his emergence as as artist and the establishment of his place in the art world, Stevens and Swan give us a vivid portrait of an artist's self-discovery and the formation of a working aesthetic.

Once De Kooning is established as an artist, the narrative stu...more An art biography whose strengths lie mostly in its treatment of the non-artistic aspects of de Kooning's life. Beginning with a classic and finely-rendered account of de Kooning's experience as an immigrant and moving slowly but purposefully to his emergence as as artist and the establishment of his place in the art world, Stevens and Swan give us a vivid portrait of an artist's self-discovery and the formation of a working aesthetic.

Once De Kooning is established as an artist, the narrative stumbles a bit. De Kooning's importance is assumed prior to the proving of the fact, which gives the book a slightly pretentious air and excuses a substantial and understandable analysis if his abstract work. The sections devoted to analyzing his works are invariably abrupt and at times amateurishly obvious. At times, the analysis is vague and ill-supported: probably a consequence of De Kooning's abstract style, but unconvincing nonetheless.

Still, this abstruseness is bearable, inasmuch as de Kooning's art is an expression of his personality, because his personality is sketched vividly in this book: self-confident, restless, sometimes abrasive, always intensely productive. This biography also excels in the intangibles of the biographer's art, in crystallizing its subject's personality and bringing a working grasp of how that personality bears on the characters around him. Through the messiness of De Kooning's battles with alcoholism, his high-strung love affairs, his petulant pride and his fierce individuality, the authors never let him sink to melodrama or bathos; his problems are examined honestly, objectively and effectively. Given the tumult of De Kooning's life, this book could have easily stooped to gossip and sensationalism. To its significant credit, it never does.

If you are a De Kooning fan, you'll find plenty here to admire and take pleasure in, as well as a more complete picture of the man than is offered by his art. If you aren't a fan, or are new to his work, the book's impact may be considerably lessened but it still stands as a fine example of biography. (less)

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Dec 12, 2010 Brian rated it 5 of 5 stars

This book tells a great personal story. Childhood poverty, earning a scholarship to one of Holland's premier art academies, immigrating to New York after World War II, working as a a carpenter and window dresser, breakthroughs to new artistic levels, living in the bohemian world of Greenwich Village in the 50's, alcoholism, the several women who critically influenced his life (and the many who did not), the influence of his mentor Arshile Gorky, his friendship/rivalry with Jackson Pollack, Rober...more

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Feb 27, 2010 Laura rated it 5 of 5 stars

I love this book! Being a self-professed art nerd, this shouldn't be a surprise. Although an extremely dense book, and not the quickest read of my life (I've taken more than a few breaks!), it always left me thinking about it when I wasn't reading it. An extremely comprehensive overview of de Kooning's life from his humble beginnings in the Netherlands to a who's-who in mid-century New York. As an artist who connects with his work on such a level that is incomparable to many today, his commitmen...more

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Nov 15, 2012 Ruth Charchian rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: biography

Even if you are not a fan of abstract art, this is a stunning masterful book. It won a Pulitzer Prize for a reason. When you make the decision to read this book be prepared to virtually move in with de Kooning, his masterful paintings, his struggles with alcohol, his friends, his women, and his art dealers. The level of detail and breadth of description is illuminating. His work was his life. Nothing else really mattered to him. He labored over his early paintings trying to determine who he was...more

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Jan 31, 2013 Cody rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: biographies-memoirs, mid-century, visual-art

“I didn’t want to pin it down at all. I was interested in that before, but I found out it was not in my nature. I didn’t work with the idea of perfection, but to see how far one could go.” (p. 342)

How does one pin down Willem de Kooning, the master of impasto and ambiguity? An artist that refused any reconciliation, de Kooning’s reputation for enraging and enthralling is writ large and real in this vast biography. The success of this text is two-fold. First, through exhaustive research and analy...more

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Feb 05, 2009 Bookmarks Magazine added it · review of another edition

Critics unreservedly praise Stevens's and Swan's opus as a masterpiece in art writing, a landmark biography, and a fascinating look at early 20th-century New York. Several laud the writers' meticulous research and eloquent style, and most appreciate the balance with which the authors explore de Kooning's more human aspects, such as chronic infidelity and probable Alzheimer's Disease. Reviewers single out this tome as a gripping read for both fans of the painter and the uninitiated.

This is an ex

...more

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Feb 21, 2010 Wendy Wax rated it 5 of 5 stars

This book is a masterpiece! I loved every word of it and learned all about the NYC art world in the 1930s 40s, and 50s, after De Kooning escaped his shoe-throwing mom in Rotterdam and came to the U. S. as a stowaway in a freighter. I loved how the American artists (not yet famous) used to drop in at each other's studios. They were all fascinated by and jealous of that Spanish artist, Picasso, and memorized all his works at his NY gallery shows. De Kooning, who eventually became an master America...more

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Oct 06, 2012 Brian rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: biographymemoir

My life got became pretty crazy when I was reading this 650-page epic, which lead to my reading it over the course of many weeks - much longer than it usually takes me to finish a book (especially a book as compulsively readable as this one) By the time I'd reached the end, I felt like I'd spent a life time with it - probably due to a combination of its scale, scope, complexity, and of course, it's subject.

There's something huge-seeming about de Kooning's life, and it fittingly deserves no less...more My life got became pretty crazy when I was reading this 650-page epic, which lead to my reading it over the course of many weeks - much longer than it usually takes me to finish a book (especially a book as compulsively readable as this one) By the time I'd reached the end, I felt like I'd spent a life time with it - probably due to a combination of its scale, scope, complexity, and of course, it's subject.

There's something huge-seeming about de Kooning's life, and it fittingly deserves no less than the maniacal attention to detail that Mark Stevens and Annalyn Swan bring to this project. One has the feeling while immersed that de Kooning's personal history set a mold for the rags-to-riches mythology of a poor artist's rise to meteoric fame. As someone who has, for many years now, worked with young people in arts education, I have a unique relationship with this storyline, as well as its alarming pervasiveness in the minds of almost everyone I encounter. No matter where you stand on the matter of de Kooning's paintings, many, many people labor under the delusion that extreme poverty, alcoholism, unexplainable mood swings and a marginalized lifestyle are part and parcel of an artist's career, and that to endure them for long enough promises the prize of success on the other end. "Where did this idea come from?" I've often asked myself -- after reading de Kooning I feel like I've found my answer.

What was consistently refreshing about this excellent book was the attention paid to the working life of the artist himself, an aspect of the lifestyle that's often overshadowed by narrative of personality extremities or financial circumstance. de Kooning, it is clear from the text, worked like a motherfucker his whole like on his paintings - he didn't really like distractions, or vacations, or anything disrupting the solidity of his routine. Towards the end of his life, painting was the only activity keeping him alive. Also surprising - he experienced long periods of struggle and failure in the studio, even after he had established himself as the reigning king of Abstract Expressionism. LIke all great biographies, An American Master simultaneously adulates and humanizes its subject, working overtime to provide a historical context for the mythology surrounding this figure. And if it does anything to illuminate the complexity, difficulty and realities of the lives of artists today (which I think it does) I would characterize it less as a biography and more an act of civil service. (less)

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Oct 22, 2011 Kathleen rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: art, biography

Loved this!
It made me want to forget his life, remember his pictures. I must see the MOMA retrospective!

1. At the end of section 1 -- Holland -- I am disgusted with 22-year-old de Kooning. He stowed away on a ship bound for America without saying goodbye to his mother! or father (they lived apart). or the big sister who supported him in so many ways. Ingrate!
2. de Kooning quickly found work (interior design) & women (first one, then another, then another... sometimes all in same bed). After...more

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Jan 22, 2012 Ed Smiley rated it 5 of 5 stars

This autobiography deservedly netted a lot of book awards, including the Pulitzer. I'm going to do a fairly detailed review, but it only scratches the surface of this book, and is no substitute for reading it.

There was a major de Kooning retrospective at MOMA in 2011-2012 with 200 works, around the time this book was released:
http://www.moma.org/interactives/exhi...

I won't label it a spoiler, because there is so much I left out, but if you hate knowing anything about a book, then you might want...more

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Feb 06, 2011 Terrance Owens rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: history

This book can get bogged down in recounting the minutes of de Kooning's life. We don't need to hear about every downswing and every comeback and every alcoholic binge he went on. The last one hundred pages say the same thing over and over until he dies and nothing new really comes to light other than the fact that a really old man is having trouble remembering things. Isaacson or McCullough wouldn't have let that happen, especially with a subject who was the master of escaping (he painted secret...more

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Dec 09, 2010 Cameron rated it 5 of 5 stars

Fascinating biography focusing on de Kooning's life, art and the rise of the New York School of abstract expressionism. Although I'm a great lover of the movement, I've never been particularly impressed with de Kooning's oeuvre. This book drills deep into his upbringing, style and psychology to present a deeply compelling character at the heart of American abstract art. The authors also exhaustively uncover the influence of his contemporaries, including his friendship with some of my favorite ar...more

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May 09, 2010 Margaret Haerens rated it 4 of 5 stars

A terrific biography on one of the most important American painters of the 20th century. I feel like I have a real sense of de Koonig's life as well as his career after reading this; as well as his influences, his turbulent personal life, his struggle with alcoholism, and his relationships with other writers. A few years back I read the Pollack bio and was intrigued by the friendly yet competitive friendship between these two artists. Stevens really explores this aspect, as well as offers insigh...more

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Apr 14, 2011 Tommy Bat-Blog Brookshire rated it 5 of 5 stars

I totally love the artwork of Willem De Kooning, so when I came across this book I knew I had to read it! Plus, it won a Pulitzer Prize so it's gotta be good, right? Well, it was...it's a great read & the insight into this American Artist's work is very well researched. If you love Abstract Expressionism & want to learn more about this era in Art then be sure to grab this book.

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Jun 29, 2009 Emily rated it 5 of 5 stars

Great biography! Really gives insight into the life of such an influential painter. I really liked reading about the New York schools of painting in the 60s and 70s. Includes in-depth critiques of his important paintings as well as descriptions of his contemporaries and their work. Very interesting to read about his personal life as well. A must read for any artist, young or old!

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Jan 27, 2010 Chris Allan rated it 3 of 5 stars

I love Pollock he was huge and American and modern and everything America wanted to be at the time but personally I prefer de Kooning. I think his abstract paintings were more modern and more forward thinking, maybe not as arresting but subtly magestic and who knows if his name wasn't so European he might have been much bigger like his drinking buddy Jackson.

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Feb 25, 2010 Rob Woodard rated it 4 of 5 stars

Excellent biography of the late Dutch-American painter, which explores his life and artists philosophies in great detail. What I especially liked was the discussions of his painting techniques, which are often not covered in these sorts of books. Overall one of the better artist's biographies I've ever read. (Would give it four and a half stars if I could).

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Jan 12, 2011 Oli4b rated it 4 of 5 stars

Detailed biography +600 pages of Dutch artist Willem de Kooning, who left for New York to become eventually one of the most influential artists of the century. Still I mist something, they didn't get under his skin.

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Feb 21, 2010 Mari Griffin rated it 5 of 5 stars

I added this book because its one of my favorites. Gossipy and scholarly, a great bio of an artist and fascinating account of the New York art scene from the 30s through the 80s. Well researched and a page turner.

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Aug 11, 2011 Kelly rated it 5 of 5 stars

An outstanding biography of an important and remarkable life; perhaps the best biography of an artist I've ever read. The scholarly tone is measured, accessible, restrained and illuminating.

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Dec 09, 2012 Sketchbook rated it 2 of 5 stars

A tedious bio. But how did his daughter Lisa, age 56, die? Found dead 3 weeks ago in Virgin Isles. Story hussshed by US press. Where's the tabloid hedline: ART HEIRESS DEAD. (See: Drug kingpins).

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Jul 16, 2010 Amy is currently reading it

Shelves: will-never-finish

i started reading this a couple of years ago when it first came out, but then my dog chewed off the corner of it and i can't stand to open it anymore 'cause it's all disfigured now.

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Mar 21, 2010 Robert Vaughan rated it 4 of 5 stars

A brilliant biography of the artist/ painter deKooning. Winner of both the Pulitzer Prize and the National Book Critics Circle Award. Couldn't put it down.

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Jun 15, 2012 Neil Bomberg rated it 4 of 5 stars

A sometimes slow read, this autobiography explores the depth, complexity and greatness of the artist, and serves to elevate him among his peers.

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Mar 04, 2012 Laurel rated it 5 of 5 stars

This Pulitzer Prize winner was a page turner for me, who recently saw his retrospective at MOMA! I just wish I would have read it before I went to the exhibit. His life and the big names he rubbed shoulders with make for a fascinating read. Incredible amount of research, as one would expect from a Pulitzer winner, but reads like a novel!

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About Mark Stevens

Mark Stevens is the art critic for New York Magazine. He has also been the art critic for The New Republic and Newsweek and has written for such publications as Vanity Fair, the New York Times, and The New Yorker. He lives in New York City.

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