Abstraction (Standing Bull) 1958

Elaine de Kooning made this painting, “Abstraction (Standing Bull),” with quick, gestural marks and a earthy palette of ochre, sienna, blues and greys. I can almost see her moving around the canvas, trying to capture the essence of a bull—its strength, its weight, its presence. Imagine what it might have been like for Elaine to create this, thinking about other painters who also captured animals, like Franz Marc. It’s not about representation; it's about feeling, a sense of something wild and alive. The paint is applied thinly, almost like a watercolor, allowing the white of the canvas to peek through and create a sense of light and air. It's like she is trying to catch something fleeting! The strokes themselves communicate so much! There is a real energy in the way she is working the paint here. Artists are always talking to each other across time, inspiring each other’s creativity. Painting is an ongoing conversation. It’s all embodied expression, ambiguity, and uncertainty.