Sight Height 28.5 in., Width 24.5 in. Framed Height 39 in., Width 35 in. Signed and dated lower right. Edition 30/50 lower left. Abstract Expressionist Willem de Kooning was often described by his peers as an artists artist. A prolific painter, his works are included in private, public, and corporate collections worldwide.

This is one plate from the Quatre Lithographies suite — a series of four related lithographs de Kooning executed in 1986. It was printed by Art Estampe, Paris and published by Éditions de la Difference, Paris, in an edition of 100, plus proofs. The sheet size is 28¼ x 24⅝ inches.

This body of work represented the final chapter in de Koonings sixty-year career, and reflects his mature exploration of the essence of color and form. The sinuous ribbons of bold primary colors translate the vigor of his earlier Abstract Expressionist work into a joyous lyricism.

Lithography allowed de Kooning to integrate the spontaneity of the Abstract Expressionist gesture with the technical process of printmaking. The use of tusche — a greasy medium applied to the lithographic stone with a brush or pen — closely resembles the act of painting, making the relationship between his printmaking and painting deeply reciprocal.