WILLEM DE KOONING (American/Dutch, 1904-1997). PORTRAIT OF MR. AND MRS. PETER SANFORD ROSS HEADLEY, NEW YORK. September 3, 1933. oil on paper
- Unframed, sheet: 12 in. x 16 in. Estimate $30,000-50,000
PROVENANCE: by family descent to the present owner from her father-in-law, Mr. Peter Sanford Ross Headley, who transferred ownership on July 4, 1960. According to Mr. Headley, the portrait was painted at a brunch given by friends of the Headleys who summered in East Hampton, NY. Mr. and Mrs. Headley, of 1150 5th Avenue, New York, owned a home in nearby Bridgehampton. Willem de Kooning and a male friend of approximately the same age, 'crashed' the brunch gathering, arriving from Riverhead, New York, where Mr. de Kooning was apparently staying. Mr. de Kooning arrived with the apparent objective of marketing his skills, and therefore carried palette, pigments and paper with him. He evidently sought, despite his inebriation, to aggressively approach numerous party guests for the purpose of drawing portraits of his targets.
