Elaine de Kooning and the Bacchus motif

Elaine de Kooning’s mother was a formative influence in her life, introducing her to art and literature at an early age. Her mother’s outlandish, autocratic personality—and her ins...

Elaine married Willem de Kooning on December 9, 1943, and they began living in an industrial loft that he had refurbished. He taught her to paint still lifes, and she also began dr...

In 1948, Willem de Kooning taught at the Black Mountain College summer session in Asheville, North Carolina. Elaine thrived in this experimental ambience. She worked on Buckminster...

During the 1960s, Elaine lived in a succession of New York lofts, where she painted, wrote, and entertained large groups of friends—including artists, writers, and athletes. She be...

In late 1975, Elaine bought a house in East Hampton, giving up her New York studio. She had come to rescue Bill from alcohol addiction. But she also traveled abroad, including trip...