Willem de Kooning (1904–1997) was one of the most celebrated and prolific draftsmen of the 20th century.

Willem de Kooning Drawing is the first exhibition to examine the expansive drawing practice of this renowned American artist who immigrated to New York from the Netherlands at the age of 22. While many Art Institute visitors may be familiar with de Kooning’s monumental painting Excavation (1950), a cornerstone of our collection, this exhibition marks the first solo presentation of the artist’s work at our museum since 1969.

This major gathering of works from across the globe reveals how the act of drawing was foundational to de Kooning’s entire artistic process and production—his paintings, sculptures, and printmaking, as well as his drawings—and showcases the totality of his graphic production, from his earliest existing works to his late calligraphic paintings.

Rigorously trained at the Academy of Visual Arts and Technical Sciences in Rotterdam, de Kooning achieved a remarkable command of traditional drawing techniques while still in his teens. In 1926, he stowed away on a freight ship bound for the United States to pursue his dream of becoming an illustrator. Eventually arriving in New York City, de Kooning found work as a house painter, freelance commercial artist, and window display designer. At the same time, he became immersed in the New York art world, befriending artists such as Stuart Davis, Arshile Gorky, and John Graham and ultimately becoming a key figure of the movement that would be known as “Abstract Expressionism” or the “New York School” with such contemporaries as Jackson Pollock, Lee Krasner, Barnett Newman, and Mark Rothko.

Ambiguity would become a distinguishing feature of de Kooning’s practice, as his work increasingly dissolved the boundaries between representation and abstraction, male and female figures, “high” and “low” art forms, and, in particular, the disciplines of drawing and painting. He stated, “I draw in paint, and usually I don’t feel so much difference between drawing and painting.” Compelled to continually innovate and surprise even himself, de Kooning began experimenting with unconventional drawing methods (such as working with his eyes closed), which opened up new directions for his art. He also often reused forms from his earlier artworks and adapted tools and techniques from his career as a commercial artist, resulting in a body of work that is both self-referential and inventive.

Willem de Kooning Drawing features more than 200 artworks from public and private collections around the world. The exhibition presents iconic works like the Art Institute’s Excavation and the Museum of Modern Art’s Woman I (1950–52), as well as significant and lesser-known drawings, paintings, sculptures, and prints, many of which have rarely—if ever—been seen by the public.

This landmark exhibition offers an unprecedented opportunity to experience the full scope of de Kooning’s drawing practice, shedding light not only on its evolution over seven decades but also on the ways it redefined the possibilities of modern and contemporary art.

Willem de Kooning Drawing is organized by the Art Institute of Chicago, in collaboration with the Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam, and in consultation with The Willem de Kooning Foundation. The exhibition’s curatorial team includes the Art Institute of Chicago’s Kevin Salatino, Chair and Anne Vogt Fuller and Marion Titus Searle Curator, Prints and Drawings; Mel Becker Solomon, associate research curator, Prints and Drawings; and Charlotte Healy, senior research associate, Prints and Drawings, with contributions from Margaret Holben Ellis, exhibition paper conservator.

Two Women’s Torsos, 1952, Willem de Kooning. The Art Institute of Chicago, John H. Wrenn Memorial Collection. © 2026 The Willem de Kooning Foundation / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York