Reclining Figure
Willem de Kooning (1904-1997)
Bronze
De Kooning's Reclining Figure alternates between realism and abstraction. Paul Tucker, professor of art and curator of Arts on the Point, notes that only at certain moments does the sculpture appear to be that of a reclining figure.
"It then morphs into something animalistic or insect-like or something prehistoric that eludes specificity. Then, it's just a form," Tucker says.
Tucker says the sculpture was originally only 6 inches. It was expanded to the specifications of the original model in the 1980s.
"De Kooning was primarily a painter," Tucker says. "For him to enter the realm of sculpture was unique and daring."
