Willem de Kooning: A Life in Fragments Born April 24, 1904, in Rotterdam, the Netherlands, Willem de Kooning’s life was a complex tapestry woven from ambition, self-doubt, and an unrelenting pursuit of artistic expression. His early years were marked by a profound sense of displacement – his family moved to the United States when he was just two, settling in Trenton, New Jersey. This transatlantic shift profoundly shaped his identity, fostering a lifelong negotiation between European heritage and American experience. De Kooning’s childhood wasn't one of idyllic comfort; it was characterized…