The Painting Once Owned by Steve Martin That Set Willem de Kooning's Auction Record

Willem de Kooning, Woman As Landscape (1954) sold for $68.94m at Christie's in New York on November 13, 2018. The oil and charcoal on canvas work had been traded 6 times in the past.

In the 1990s, De Kooning's Woman As Landscape was owned by the actor Steve Martin. In 2018, it was a highlight of the sale of the collection of the late, luxury travel entrepreneur, Barney A. Ebsworth.

De Kooning painted his "Woman" series of abstract expressionist painting of female figure after he had moved out of a cramped studio to a more spacious studio, which was reflected in his work. At this time Willem and Elaine de Kooning began spending summer weekends in the Hamptons at the home of dealers Leo Castelli and Ileana Sonnabend, where he much prefered to stay home and paint than head to the beach. De Kooning would later have a property of his own there.

The sale beat de Kooning's previous auction record by $2.61m, a 3% rise. The previous record was set by Untitled Xxv (1977), which sold for $66.33m at Christie's on November 15, 2016. The work had not been traded before.

A Brief History of Willem de Kooning at Auction