Question 1

True or false: He was a founding member of the Abstract Expressionist movement, alongside Jackson Pollock.

Accepted Answer

True. De Kooning and Pollock were key figures in the New York School, though de Kooning retained figurative elements longer.

Question 2

True or false: He famously painted his 'Woman' series using only black and white paint.

Accepted Answer

False. The 'Woman' series is known for vibrant, aggressive colors, not monochrome. Black and white works were separate experiments.

Question 3

True or false: De Kooning never sold a painting until after his death.

Accepted Answer

False. His work sold well in his lifetime; 'Interchange' fetched a record price in 1955, making him wealthy by the 1960s.

Question 4

True or false: De Kooning was born in the Netherlands and trained at the Rotterdam Academy of Fine Arts.

Accepted Answer

True. He studied at the Rotterdam Academy in the 1920s before emigrating to the US in 1926, which shaped his early classical skills.

Question 5

True or false: De Kooning once worked as a house painter to support himself during the Great Depression.

Accepted Answer

True. To survive, he took jobs painting houses and signs, which influenced his later bold brushwork and commercial paint use.

Question 6

True or false: He legally changed his name from 'Willem' to 'Bill' to sound more American.

Accepted Answer

False. He never legally changed it; friends and colleagues called him 'Bill' informally, but his official name remained Willem.

Question 7

True or false: In 1989, de Kooning was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease, yet continued painting into the 1990s.

Accepted Answer

True. Despite severe dementia, he produced a late abstract series, sparking debate about creativity and cognitive decline.

Question 8

True or false: His painting 'Woman III' was sold for $137 million, making it one of the most expensive artworks ever.

Accepted Answer

False. That figure is for 'Woman III' in 2006, but it sold for $137.5 million, not $137 million—close but slightly inflated myth.

Willem de Kooning Trivia Questions