In conversation with critic Harold Rosenberg, Willem de Kooning explained that he was an eclectic painter who enjoyed the history and tradition of painting without feeling constrained by it. "I could be influenced by Rubens," he said, "but I certainly would not paint like Rubens." Although de Kooning is most closely identified with his controversial paintings of women from the 1950s, the explosive style that characterized his work in the 1950s and 1960s gave way to increasingly elegant lines, fluid forms, and delicate coloring, reflecting his interest in the art of Henri Matisse and Paul Cézanne. In 1972, at age sixty-eight, the Dutch-born artist introduced another dimension to his work with his first exhibition of bronze sculpture.

Dan Budnik (born 1933)
Gelatin silver print, 1967
Published November 1967
ARTnews Collection, New York City