Willem de Kooning's six numbered Woman paintings have incited a maelstrom of critical controversy. At their debut in 1953, the critics were incensed by the ugliness of the images themselves and by the inclusion of vestiges of the figure in abstraction. Consequently, they questioned de Kooning's attitude toward women and commitment to the Abstract Expressionist project. Countering such objections to de Kooning's psychological state and artistic goals, Marlene Clark's The Woman in Me: Willem de Kooning, Woman I-VI argues that these canvases could be read as self-portraits, negating claims...
Willem de Kooning's six numbered Woman paintings have incited a maelstrom of critical controversy. At their debut in 1953, the critics were incensed b...
