DE KOONING | DECADES
THREE MASTERWORKS BY WILLEM DE KOONING EMERGE ON THE MARKET FOR THE FIRST TIME FROM THE DE KOONING FAMILY COLLECTION

Spanning Three Pivotal Decades, The Works Trace Evolution of de Kooning’s Oeuvre

With a Combined Estimate in Excess of $50 Million The Paintings Will Star in Sotheby’s Contemporary Evening Auction this November

“These three paintings and our grandfather’s liberated palette were forever present in our lives… For as long as we can remember, Untitled, c. 1979, was referred to affectionately as “the Monet” by our mother. Even as young children, we were captivated by it. It was a window; we had the sea in the studio. In all of these works, there’s a lawlessness moored by intention.” The de Kooning Family

“Working directly with the de Kooning family, we hand-selected these works not only to emphasize their unique quality, but to also tell a story about de Kooning and the importance each of these decades plays within his practice. The remarkable evolution on display in these three works is a testament to de Kooning’s unparalleled vision and dexterity as a painter, deftly moving from one critical formal invention to another, always looking forward to new styles and forms.” Lisa Dennison, Sotheby’s Chairman, Americas

DE KOONING | DECADES Exhibition Schedule:
Hong Kong: 2 – 8 October
London: 8 – 12 October
Paris: 19 – 24 October
Los Angeles: 26 – 29 October
New York: 4 – 16 November

NEW YORK, 16 SEPTEMBER 2022 – Marking one of the most exceptional groupings of paintings by Willem de Kooning to ever appear on the market, three superlative masterworks by one of the undisputed titans of 20th century art will make their auction debut this November, on offer from the de Kooning Family Collection. With each work executed at the culmination of a pivotal decade in de Kooning’s oeuvre, the seminal paintings included in DE KOONING | DECADES trace the evolution of the artist’s practice from the late 1960s to the late 1980s, constituting an elegant retrospective throughout three successive decades of his career.

The group is comprised of Montauk II, from 1969, one of five known Montauk paintings created in that year (estimate $10/15 million); Untitled, circa 1979, a singular masterwork that represents the culmination of an exceptional body of highly gestural, colorful canvases from the 1970s, and which charts a path forward to the new era embodied in his 1980s canvases (estimate $30/40 million); and The Hat Upstairs, a rare large-scale work from 1987 that, much like Untitled, circa 1979, is distinguished by its unique coloration and compositional lyricism, and will be unveiled to the public for the first time having never before been on public exhibition (estimate $8/12 million).

Pivotal to their significance, all three works were painted in de Kooning’s self-designed home and studio in the East Hampton village of Springs – a seaside oasis where the artist lived and worked as his primary residence and studio beginning in the late 1960s until his death in 1997. The artist’s work was greatly influenced by his move from the densely populated city streets of Manhattan to the tranquility of his coastal escape, most clearly evident in the Montauk series, but also in the surface of Untitled, which remarkably evokes the sea in its vibrant blue hues, expressive brushstrokes, and lush impasto style of painting.

WILLEM DE KOONING’S EAST HAMPTON STUDIO
With the three exceptional works coming to auction directly from the de Kooning family, through newly taken photographs, Sotheby's is offering an extremely rare glimpse into the artist's seldom-seen East Hampton studio, which has remained private for decades. Since the artist’s death in 1997, the studio has remained virtually untouched and meticulously preserved, showcasing de Kooning’s vision in creating his own environment that is not only unique to his needs as an artist, but reflects his own life story. Drawing from his experience as a stowaway on a ship from the Netherlands to the United States in 1926, nautical elements are incorporated throughout, while also featuring grand structural trusses and walls of floor-to-ceiling windows that provided de Kooning with the ample natural light and the freedom of movement that were so critical to his work. A further exploration of the studio can be seen in The New York Times here.

DE KOONING | DECADES
“Willem de Kooning is unquestionably one of the most important artists of the 20th century, whose artistic evolution and experimentation helped define the Abstract Expressionist movement, as well expand it into new realms of expression. The three works in this collection represent an incredible insight into how de Kooning relentlessly refined and reworked his visual style, always exploring new techniques and approaches. That alone would make this group of works a significant moment for the market, but to have all three paintings arrive on the market for the first time directly from the de Kooning family is a singular opportunity that showcases the depth of de Kooning’s work in a new light.” David Galperin, Sotheby’s Head of Contemporary Art, New York