Willem de Kooning: A Life in Fragments Born April 24, 1904, in Rotterdam, Netherlands, Willem de Kooning’s life was a complex tapestry woven from ambition, self-doubt, and an unrelenting pursuit of artistic expression. His early years were marked by a profound sense of displacement – his family moved to the United States when he was just two, settling in Trenton, New Jersey, and later relocating to Springs, Long Island, where he would spend much of his career. This transatlantic journey profoundly shaped his identity, fostering a unique perspective that would permeate his art. De Kooning’s a…