Rijksmuseum to open landmark exhibition of 20th century master Willem de Kooning
Featuring more than 120 works, Willem de Kooning at work is a comprehensive survey of the artist’s drawn works complemented by some of his most celebrated paintings and sculptures
Publication date: 08 July 2026 - 08:50
One hundred years after Willem de Kooning left Rotterdam for a new life in New York, Rijksmuseum brings de Kooning back to the Netherlands with the major exhibition Willem de Kooning at Work. De Kooning became one of the most influential artists of the 20th century. Featuring more than 120 works, Rijksmuseum’s landmark exhibition is a comprehensive overview of his drawn works, complemented by a selection of de Kooning’s most celebrated paintings and sculptures. The drawings trace the development of a modern master who changed art forever, offering unprecedented insight into the practice of an artist in constant search of renewal. Alongside the exhibition, two of de Kooning’s most iconic paintings – Woman I and Woman and Bicycle – will be displayed concurrently in the Rijksmuseum’s Gallery of Honour, placing de Kooning among the great masters of Dutch painting.
Willem de Kooning at work will be on view from 9 October 2026 through 17 January 2027 and is developed in collaboration with the Art Institute of Chicago and The Willem de Kooning Foundation in New York.
The exhibition is made possible in part by The Willem de Kooning Foundation, The Friends Lottery, Ammodo Art, Art Mentor Foundation Lucerne, Blockbusterfonds, Rijksmuseum International Circle, Rijksmuseum Friends and the Ministry of Education, Culture and Science.
Willem de Kooning at work
Willem de Kooning at work is the first exhibition to place the full scope of the artist’s drawn oeuvre at its centre, bringing together more than 120 iconic works. They include Reclining Nude (Juliet Browner) (ca. 1938), Itinerant Chapel (1951) and Woman in a Rowboat (ca. 1964-65), all from private collections, Abstraction (1949-1950, Museo Thyssen-Bornemisza), Pink Angels (ca. 1945, Frederick R. Weisman Art Foundation) and Woman (1983, Museum Ludwig). The exhibition follows Willem de Kooning’s artistic development over a period of more than 65 years, with drawing as its central thread. For de Kooning, drawing was not a preparatory step – it was the very foundation of his practice. By presenting rarely exhibited drawings alongside key works from international collections, such as Excavation (1950, Art Institute of Chicago) and Clam Diggers (1963, private collection), the exhibition reveals how themes such as the human figure and landscape recur throughout his work. Together, these works reveal an artist driven by a continual search for new possibilities and ongoing self-reinvention. The creative process itself became the core of his work. We see de Kooning sketching, experimenting, revising, repeating and, at times, surprising even himself – from apparently rapid pencil and charcoal drawings to works made with his eyes closed, and works where the boundary between drawing and painting has been dissolved completely.
About the artist
Born and raised in Rotterdam, Willem de Kooning (1904–1997) developed a passion for drawing and painting at an early age. De Kooning took drawing courses as a night student at the city’s Academy of Visual Arts and Technical Sciences and apprenticed at the decorative arts studio of Jan and Jaap Gidding in Rotterdam. In 1926, he stowed away aboard a cargo ship bound for America. He settled in New York, where he worked during his first years as a house painter, illustrator and shop-window designer. The art world beckoned, however, and de Kooning made the transition to becoming an independent artist. Following his breakthrough in the late 1940s, he became a key figure in the New York School, alongside contemporaries such as Jackson Pollock, Lee Krasner, Barnett Newman and Mark Rothko. In the decades that followed, de Kooning grew into one of the most influential modern artists. Although his work is often associated with Abstract Expressionism, he resisted every attempt to place him within a particular category.
Accompanying the exhibition
A catalogue and a book will be published to accompany the exhibition. The catalogue, edited by The Art Institute of Chicago, presents new research and offers an in-depth exploration of Willem de Kooning’s drawings. The book, published by the Rijksmuseum, is published especially for readers discovering de Kooning for the first time, or for those wishing to reacquaint themselves with the artist.
The public programme accompanying the exhibition includes a masterclass on modern art history, a drawing workshop at the Rijksmuseum’s educational centre the Teekenschool and an audio tour.
More de Kooning in the Netherlands
Fenix
Fenix, Rotterdam’s art museum dedicated to migration, is also commemorating Willem de Kooning this year. Starting on 18 July 2026, three of his monumental bronze sculptures will be on temporary display on the quay in front of the museum.
HKU University of the Arts Utrecht
Five Graphic Design students from HKU University of the Arts Utrecht drew inspiration from Willem de Kooning. They were tasked with creating poster designs featuring quotes by the artist. The ten resulting designs will be displayed in several cities throughout the summer.
Willem de Kooning Academy
Students at the Willem de Kooning Academy in Rotterdam are invited to take part in an open call to upcycle the Rijksmuseum's canvas tote bag. The two winning designs will be sold in the Rijksmuseum Shop during the exhibition.