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Author | Mark Stevens and Annalyn Swan |
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Language | English |
Subject | Willem de Kooning |
Genre | Biography |
Publisher | Alfred A. Knopf |
Publication date | November 9, 2004 |
Media type | |
Pages | 752 (hardcover) |
Awards | 2005 Pulitzer Prize |
ISBN | 978-1400041756 |
709'2—dc22 | |
LC Class | N6537.D43S74 2004 |
de Kooning: An American Master is a biography of Dutch American painter Willem de Kooning, a prominent figure in the American movement of abstract expressionism, specially in the 1940s and 1950s. Often compared to Jackson Pollock and Arshile Gorky, de Kooning was considered one of the more inspirational and influential artists of the 20th century. [1] The book, which is the first comprehensive biography presenting both de Kooning's personal life and career, was written by authors by Mark Stevens and Annalyn Swan. [2] [3] In 2005, the book was honored with the 2005 Pulitzer Prize for Biography or Autobiography.
On Metacritic, the book received a 88 out of 100 based on 12 critic reviews, indicating "universal acclaim". [4] In the March/April 2005 issue of Bookmarks , the book was scored four out of five. The magazine's critical summary reads: "Critics unreservedly praise Stevens’s and Swan’s opus as a masterpiece in art writing, a landmark biography, and a fascinating look at early 20th-century New York". [5]