Willem de Kooning (1904–1997) was a Dutch-American artist and a towering figure in 20th-century art, renowned as a founding member of the Abstract Expressionist movement. Born in Rotterdam, he trained at the Rotterdam Academy of Fine Arts before immigrating to the United States in 1926. Settling in New York, de Kooning became a central figure in the postwar art scene, developing a dynamic style that fused abstraction with figuration and landscape. He is best known for his gestural, emotionally charged paintings, particularly his iconic Woman series from the early 1950s, which broke conventions with their raw brushwork and powerful imagery. De Kooning’s career spanned nearly seven decades, during which he continually experimented with form, color, and technique—moving from early black-and-white abstractions to vibrant, lyrical works in his later years. His influence on contemporary painting is profound, and his works are held in major museum collections worldwide, including the Museum of Modern Art, the Whitney Museum, and the Tate.