Absolutely transformative': Willem de Kooning exhibition uncovers raw intensity of early work

"He wanted to wait until he really had a body of work that he felt good about, said de Kooning expert and show co-curator John Elderfield, explaining why the painter waited so long to have his first solo show. He came up with an exhibition that had about a dozen works."

"At the time, de Kooning had developed something of an underground reputation, highly esteemed by those in the know but not yet widely admired. The highly influential essayist and art critic Clement Greenberg helped break him out of that status with a review of the Egan Gallery show that made many more eyes turn towards him."

"The Breakthrough Years offers a concentrated look at many of the signature works from this particularly fertile period in de Kooning's career, giving audiences an opportunity to see such key pieces as Black Friday and Dark Pond. The show's palette is notably restricted, with blacks and tans predominating amid occasional washes of color."

Willem de Kooning held his first solo exhibition at Charles Egan Gallery in spring 1948 at age 44, achieving immediate success that transformed his career and established international renown. The artist deliberately waited until he had developed a substantial body of work he felt confident about before exhibiting publicly. Though initially known only to an underground circle of admirers, influential critic Clement Greenberg's positive review of the Egan show significantly expanded his recognition. Princeton University Art Museum's exhibition Willem de Kooning: The Breakthrough Years (1945-50) features 18 paintings demonstrating his unique navigation between figuration and abstraction during this pivotal creative period, showcasing signature works with restricted palettes of blacks, tans, and occasional vibrant colors.

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