Willem De Kooning’s Maligned Late Work, Now Vindicated

“The late abstractions, painted when de Kooning suffered from dementia … [have] been denigrated for years because of his diminished mental and physical state during the 1980s. Many wondered how an artist who had lost his short-term memory, had difficulty writing, and could no longer sign his name could complete 26 paintings in 1987. See for yourself.”