Soutine / de Kooning: Conversations in Paint

About this book

Ive always been crazy about Soutineall of his paintings said Willem de Kooning in 1977 speaking about Lithuanian artist Chaim Soutine (18931943). Of all the abstract expressionists de Kooning was the only one who continued to praise Soutine throughout his career and to credit him with an influence on his work. But how much was de Koonings approach impacted by Soutine? Soutine / de Koonings dramatic juxtaposition of the two artists reveals Soutines decisive influence on the development of de Koonings art. The expressive force of Soutines painting coupled with his image as an accursed artist struggling with the vicissitudes and excesses of bohemian life in Paris during the interwar years held a powerful sway over a new generation of postwar painters in the United Statesit was during these years that de Kooning matured his own personal form of expressionism. This lavishly illustrated book traces the development of Soutines influence paying particular attention to the posthumous retrospective of Soutines work that was held at the Museum of Modern Art in 1950.