Every greater painter is dysfunctional in some way or at least had a hard life. Willem De Kooning has had a hard life, but seemed to overcome it with his passion for painting. De Kooning never conformed to certain styles; he always painted what he felt inside. Despite this he was categorized as an Abstract Expressionist painter, but was able to break the mold with his woman series. Even after death, his style still inspires contemporary painters.

Willem De Kooning was born April 24, 1904 in Rotterdam, Holland. His parents, Cornelia and Leendert De Kooning, were both involved in the alcohol business. They divorced when de Kooning was only five years old, after which, De Kooning stayed with his father for a brief period until his mother demanded that he should live with her. While living with his mom, de Kooning dropped out of grammar school in 1916 and...