Member Previews: Willem de Kooning Drawing (Thurs)

Enjoy three full days—June 11–13—of member-only access to Willem de Kooning Drawing and see this exhibition before it opens to the public.

Be sure to keep your member card handy to scan into the galleries during this exclusive preview.

Willem de Kooning Drawing is the first exhibition to examine the expansive drawing practice of this renowned American artist who immigrated to New York from the Netherlands at the age of 22. While many Art Institute visitors may be familiar with de Kooning’s monumental painting Excavation (1950), a cornerstone of our collection, this exhibition marks the first solo presentation of the artist’s work at our museum since 1969.

This major gathering of works from across the globe reveals how the act of drawing was foundational to de Kooning’s entire artistic process and production—his paintings, sculptures, and printmaking, as well as his drawings—and showcases the totality of his graphic production, from his earliest existing works to his late calligraphic paintings.

This landmark exhibition offers an unprecedented opportunity to experience the full scope of de Kooning’s drawing practice, shedding light not only on its evolution over seven decades but also on the ways it redefined the possibilities of modern and contemporary art.

See more member programs.