Willem de Kooning was a Dutch-American abstract expressionist painter. He was born on April 24, 1904, in Rotterdam, Netherlands, and immigrated to the United States in 1926.
De Kooning worked as a commercial artist in New York City before turning to fine art. He was a prominent member of the New York School, a group of artists that included Jackson Pollock and Mark Rothko. De Kooning's work is characterized by abstract, gestural paintings that blend figuration and abstraction.
His most famous works include the "Woman" series, which depicted the female form in various states of abstraction. De Kooning's work has been exhibited in major galleries and museums around the world, including the Museum of Modern Art in New York and the Tate Modern in London.
De Kooning received numerous awards and honors throughout his career, including the National Medal of Arts in 1986. He continued to work as an artist until his death on March 19, 1997, in East Hampton, New York. His legacy as one of the most important figures in post-war American art continues to influence contemporary artists today.