The Rijksmuseum’s new Willem de Kooning exhibition is on view 9 October 2026–17 January 2027. Adult museum admission is €25 and entry is free for ages 18 and under; book an entry time in advance. The museum opens 9am–5pm daily.
1. What has opened, and why this show is unusual
Amsterdam has a substantial new reason to visit Museumplein this autumn. The Rijksmuseum opened Willem de Kooning at Work on 9 October 2026, one hundred years after the Dutch-born artist left Rotterdam for the United States. Rather than simply assembling famous canvases, the exhibition follows the way he thought with pencil, charcoal and ink, and how those experiments shaped paintings and sculpture.
The museum describes more than 120 works tracing over 65 years of artistic development. It developed the exhibition with the Art Institute of Chicago and the Willem de Kooning Foundation in New York. It runs until 17 January 2027: a genuine, dated opportunity for people already arranging autumn or winter Amsterdam trips, not a permanent collection change.
2. The drawings are the heart of the exhibition
De Kooning treated drawing as a means of discovery, not simply an exercise before making a “proper” painting. The exhibition follows his line from careful student studies and representational work to dynamic charcoal gestures and more open abstract forms. Look for revisions, erasures, repetitions and shifts of emphasis rather than expecting every sheet to resemble a finished framed picture.
That perspective makes the display worthwhile even if you do not usually seek out abstract expressionism. Moving through drawings in sequence helps explain how an artist could repeatedly abandon a familiar style while keeping recognisable themes such as the body, movement and landscape. Give the quieter works time: the startling paintings become more intelligible after seeing the decisions behind them.
3. Five artworks and pairings to look for
The official presentation identifies important paintings including Excavation (1950) and Pink Angels (around 1945) alongside the drawings. In the Gallery of Honour, Woman I (1950–52) and Woman and Bicycle (1952–53) are displayed close to the museum’s Old Masters. These famous canvases are not just decorative extras; they demonstrate what happened when de Kooning translated drawn gestures into bold paint.
If time is limited, make the drawings your first stop and then deliberately find the Gallery of Honour pair. The contrast between a working sketch, a fully resolved painting and the surrounding historic Dutch paintings is one of the exhibition’s strongest ideas. The layout may vary, so follow on-site signage rather than assuming every work is in the same room.
4. Dates, admission and opening hours
The announced exhibition period is Friday 9 October 2026 through Sunday 17 January 2027. The Rijksmuseum lists normal opening hours of 9am–5pm every day at Museumstraat 1. Its published standard admission is €25 for adults; children and young people aged 18 and under enter free. Museum.nl describes access to this exhibition as included with museum admission.
Buy admission through the official Rijksmuseum booking system and select the appropriate entry time. Free admission does not automatically remove the need to arrange a timed ticket. Check the official visitor page for Museumkaart or other discount eligibility before purchasing; the value of a pass depends on your circumstances. Avoid relying on old third-party prices or assuming that every special activity is included.
5. How to arrange a sensible Museumplein day
For most first-time visitors, the Rijksmuseum deserves a substantial portion of a day even without this temporary show. Decide in advance whether de Kooning is your main event or an addition to the permanent masterpieces. If the exhibition is the priority, arrive with a booked entrance slot, see the drawings before you are tired, and leave a separate block for Woman I and Woman and Bicycle in the Gallery of Honour.
The Stedelijk and Van Gogh museums also sit around Museumplein, but combining three large museums is demanding. The Stedelijk’s Yayoi Kusama retrospective is on during the same autumn–winter period and uses its own ticketing arrangements. If both contemporary-art exhibitions interest you, choose two, allow for a meal break and make sure the museum entry windows do not overlap.
6. What visitors often misunderstand
This is not an exhibition solely about de Kooning’s famous women paintings. The core argument concerns drawing as an independent part of his practice, with paintings and sculptures supplying context. Nor has the entire show moved into the Gallery of Honour: the museum specifically highlights the two iconic canvases positioned there, alongside the broader temporary presentation.
The word “retrospective” can mislead visitors into imagining every important de Kooning masterpiece is present. No single exhibition could contain them all. The official works list and loans can change, so treat the published highlights as indicative and check current museum information if one particular painting is essential to your trip.
7. The artist’s Rotterdam-to-New York story
Willem de Kooning was born in Rotterdam in 1904 and trained there before travelling to America as a stowaway in 1926. He found work as a painter, illustrator and window dresser before becoming a major figure of the post-war New York School. His career overlapped with artists including Jackson Pollock, but his work resisted any neat stylistic box.
The centenary is more than a convenient anniversary. A Dutch museum can put his formative drawing habits beside the extravagant freedom of his American career, offering visitors a clear narrative of how craft and experiment remained connected. He continued to alter his methods for decades rather than settling into one marketable look.
8. Accessibility, workshops and the changing programme
The Rijksmuseum advertises activities around the show, including an audio tour and drawing opportunities at its Teekenschool. These are optional extras, with their own dates or booking rules. Some sessions and guided visits may be available only in Dutch, so check the activity listing rather than assuming a workshop takes place each day.
The museum has accessibility information and services for different visitors, including specialist programmes. If mobility access, sensory conditions, a companion ticket or language options will determine your visit, use the museum’s current accessibility page or contact its visitor service before making fixed travel plans.
9. A practical booking checklist
First, verify your travel dates fall between 9 October and 17 January. Second, reserve the official museum entry time before building other timed bookings around it. Third, allow enough time to enjoy the drawings, view the highlighted paintings elsewhere in the museum and take breaks. Finally, check the latest opening and activity details on your visit day; even well-planned museum schedules can be adjusted.
The Rijksmuseum is at Museumstraat 1 beside Museumplein. Public transport and walking are often more practical than attempting to drive through central Amsterdam. Consult current GVB route information for your accommodation address, and keep any other timed attractions far enough apart that an unhurried visit remains possible.
10. Official sources and verification
The Rijksmuseum and museum sector listings agree on the opening and closing dates, more than 120 works, the Gallery of Honour pair, museum opening hours and general admission. Recheck museum arrangements for your visit date.
- Rijksmuseum — Willem de Kooning at work
- Rijksmuseum — 2026 exhibition programme
- Museum.nl — ticket and exhibition listing
- Rijksmuseum — works and artistic background
Verified 9 October 2026 The artist’s work, admission conditions and museum schedule may change. This article does not guarantee that any single loan is still on display.