Untitled XI, 1975 by Willem de Kooning

Willem de Kooning is known for emotive, gestural canvases that transcend conventional definitions of figuration and abstraction. In the late 1960s and early 1970s, he turned his attention away from painting, instead focusing on sculpture, printmaking, and drawing. In 1975, at the age of 71, de Kooning began one of the most productive periods of painting in his career, quickly completing 20 new, large canvases within 6 months.

Untitled XI belongs to this series, which was, with a few exceptions, untitled and chronologically numbered. Moving away from tightly organized compositions, de Kooning used free-flowing brushwork and softened, sensuous hues to liberate form. Here the figurative references that are dominant in his earlier work are nearly lost within a far more lyrical and joyful abstract landscape.