In early spring 1952, Rauschenberg visited and photographed Willem de Kooning’s (1904–1997) studio in New York. Identifiable works in progress include early states of de Kooning’s Woman I (1950–52) and Woman II (1952). Although Rauschenberg’s motivation for taking the photos is unknown, these images present an evocative portrait of de Kooning’s work environment, as though Rauschenberg wished to capture a glimpse of the inner life and working methods of an artist he greatly respected.