Untitled (Woman)

"The fundamental orientation of even his [de Kooning's] most ambitious paintings might be accidental, a mere happening determined by a sequence of turns as the artist tested different aspects of the picture and the different positions he could take toward it. He often painted with oils on heavy paper. Despite large dimensions, he could manipulate these works relatively easily, shifting or rotating them into various orientations. 'Every painting should work on all four sides,' he insisted. A vertical composition might turn to become horizontal and vice versa. This is why de Kooning's figures seem to float on the surface and extend in every direction; they lack an articulated environment to anchor them one way or another in accordance with gravity."

(R. Shiff, Willem de Kooning the Figure: Movement and Gesture, exh. cat., New York, 2011, n.p.)