In 1984, Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen acquired the sculpture. Seated Women (1969) by Willem de Kooning, with a contribution from the City Beautification Fund of the Municipality of Rotterdam. The work was installed on Hofplein. In honor of De Kooning's hundredth birthday in 2004, CBK Rotterdam entered into a loan agreement with The Willem de Kooning Foundation, New York. Since then, they have formed Reclining Figure (1969) in Standing Figure (1969) together with Seated Woman a unique ensemble on the Hofplein.
In the summer of 2025, the sculptures were temporarily placed in storage due to the work for the redesign of Hofplein. The three artworks form an important starting point for the new design of Hofplein by landscape architects Juurlink+Geluk for a green and car-free city center.
From July 18, 2026, the sculptures will be temporarily on display on the quay at Museum Fenix, at the spot where Willem de Kooning boarded the SS Shelley one hundred years ago and departed for New York. Sculpture International Rotterdam and The Willem de Kooning Foundation are closely involved in the realization of this temporary presentation. In 2027, we will celebrate the reinstallation of the three sculptures on the renovated Hofplein.
