Now available in paperback, the first authoritative and essential overview of the abstract expressionist who reinvented portraiture within abstraction

This massive publication offers an unparalleled opportunity to appreciate the development of Willem de Kooning's work as it unfolded over nearly seven decades, beginning with his early academic works, made in Holland before he moved to the United States in 1926, and concluding with his final, sparely abstract paintings of the late 1980s.

The volume presents approximately 200 paintings, sculptures, drawings, and prints, covering the full diversity of de Kooning's art and placing his many masterpieces in the context of a complex and fascinating pictorial practice.

An introductory essay by John Elderfield, MoMA's Chief Curator Emeritus of Painting and Sculpture, provides an in-depth exploration of de Kooning's development, context and sources, theory of art, and working methods. Sections devoted to particular areas of the artist's oeuvre provide an illustrated chronology of the period and a brief introduction, as well as detailed entries on groups of works.

With lavish, full-color documentation, this landmark publication is the most complete account of de Kooning's artistic career to date.