Willem de Kooning

High school (ages 12+)
Art & Creativity

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/willem-de-kooning

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. When was Willem de Kooning born?April 24, 1904
2. Where was Willem de Kooning born?Rotterdam, Netherlands
3. What is Willem de Kooning known for?Pioneering Abstract Expressionism and 'action painting,' particularly his 'Woman' series
4. What is the career?Dutch-American painter, a key figure of the New York School
5. Where did Willem de Kooning grow up and where did he move to?He was born in Rotterdam, Netherlands, and moved secretly to the United States in 1926, where he lived in New York City.
6. Why are his "Woman" paintings famous?They show strong, sometimes scary figures made with vigorous brushwork, showing how he mixed real people with abstract shapes.

Abstract Expressionism: A post-WWII American art movement emphasizing spontaneous expression, gestural brushstrokes, and non-representational forms.
Action Painting: A sub-genre of Abstract Expressionism characterized by the physical act of painting, involving dripping, splashing, and smearing.
New York School: A collective term for American avant-garde artists, poets, and filmmakers centered in New York City during the 1940s and 1950s.
Gestural Brushstrokes: Visible, energetic marks left by the brush, conveying the artist's movement and emotion.