Sale 213 Lot 295

WILLEM DE LOOPER
American, 1932–2009
White Abstract, 1974
Oil on canvas. Verso signed and dated “June 1974.” Unframed.
Size: 69 x 49 inches
$1,500-2,500

ARTIST PROFILE: Willem de Looper (1932–2009) was a prominent Dutch-American abstract painter and museum professional who became a central figure in the Washington, D.C. art scene. Born in The Hague, Netherlands, he immigrated to the United States in 1950 and studied fine art at American University. De Looper’s career was uniquely split between his creative practice and his influential role at The Phillips Collection, where he began as a museum guard in 1959 and eventually rose to become the Chief Curator in 1982. Artistically, he is most closely associated with the Washington Color School, though he maintained a distinct style characterized by "luminous veils" of thinned acrylic paint. His work evolved from atmospheric, poured-color compositions in the 1960s and 70s to more structured, gestural abstractions in his later years. Today, his paintings are part of prestigious permanent collections, including the National Gallery of Art, the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, and the Smithsonian American Art Museum.