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Lot Essay
In 1963, Willem de Kooning left New York City for the pastoral environs of East Hampton, New York; the dramatic change in scenery proved to be a catalyst for a shift in the artist's work. In East Hampton, de Kooning found himself deeply moved by nature and began to incorporate it into his work by means of a series of paintings representing female figures in landscapes. In these works, de Kooning returned to the subject responsible for his initial fame: the woman. However, instead of the aggressive, maniacal-looking women of the 1950's, this new group of women were an altogether more jubilant group. As art historian Thomas Hess writes, "de Kooning's pictures of the 1960s are drained of the anguish and look of despair which had so profoundly marked his earlier work. In the new Woman, the mood is Joy" (de Kooning: Recent Paintings, pg. 43).
The present lot, painted in 1964, is a prime example of de Kooning's work from this period. The painting is a tour-de-force of bright, vivacious colors laid on the canvas in de Kooning's signature bold strokes. The scene depicts two nude figures, each delineated with the use of a fleshy-pink tone outlined by a robust red. They appear to be in a pastoral landscape, which he hints at with the use of blues and greens. The figure on the right appears to be seated, observing the standing female figure, in a state of undress, completely nude save for a red high-heeled shoe. The composition pulses with the energy of his facture and the sexual tension created by the ambiguous relationship between the two figures.
While Nudes clearly relates to de Kooning's earlier work through the woman subject and the vigorous brushstrokes, it also introduces the artist's newfound love of nature. As in Clam Diggers (1963), he hints at rather than clearly defines the landscape. The figures seem to float, dreamlike and peaceful in an ocean-side paradise. The bursts of color imbibe the work with a bucolic joie de vivre that harkens back to Matisse's early fauvist works. Additionally, the theme of reposed figures in a beautiful landscape hints at a much older art historical tradition of pastoral scenes painted by the likes of Rubens and Titian. In Nudes, de Kooning brings this classical theme boldly into the 20th century through his characteristic mix of abstraction and representation.
The present lot, painted in 1964, is a prime example of de Kooning's work from this period. The painting is a tour-de-force of bright, vivacious colors laid on the canvas in de Kooning's signature bold strokes. The scene depicts two nude figures, each delineated with the use of a fleshy-pink tone outlined by a robust red. They appear to be in a pastoral landscape, which he hints at with the use of blues and greens. The figure on the right appears to be seated, observing the standing female figure, in a state of undress, completely nude save for a red high-heeled shoe. The composition pulses with the energy of his facture and the sexual tension created by the ambiguous relationship between the two figures.
While Nudes clearly relates to de Kooning's earlier work through the woman subject and the vigorous brushstrokes, it also introduces the artist's newfound love of nature. As in Clam Diggers (1963), he hints at rather than clearly defines the landscape. The figures seem to float, dreamlike and peaceful in an ocean-side paradise. The bursts of color imbibe the work with a bucolic joie de vivre that harkens back to Matisse's early fauvist works. Additionally, the theme of reposed figures in a beautiful landscape hints at a much older art historical tradition of pastoral scenes painted by the likes of Rubens and Titian. In Nudes, de Kooning brings this classical theme boldly into the 20th century through his characteristic mix of abstraction and representation.