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When I began researching and writing The Woman Who Painted the Seasons, my historical novel inspired by the life of Lee Krasner, I discovered that many readers knew the name Jackson Pollock — but far fewer understood Lee Krasner’s powerful role in twentieth-century modern art.

Lee Krasner was not simply “Jackson Pollock’s wife.” Lee Krasner was a leading figure in Abstract Expressionism, a founding member of the New York School, and one of the most important women in American art history.

Here are ten key facts about Lee Krasner.

1. Lee Krasner was born in Brooklyn in 1908.

Born Lena Krassner to Russian-Jewish immigrant parents, Lee Krasner grew up in Brooklyn, New York. She later modified her name as she established herself in the professional art world of New York City.

2. Lee Krasner received rigorous academic training.

Lee Krasner studied at Cooper Union and later at the National Academy of Design. At a time when women often struggled for access to serious art education, Lee Krasner developed strong draftsmanship and classical technique before turning toward modernism and abstraction.

3. Lee Krasner helped pioneer Abstract Expressionism.

Before Abstract Expressionism was recognised as a movement, Lee Krasner was already experimenting with abstraction in New York. As part of the New York School, Lee Krasner helped shift the centre of the art world from Paris to New York after World War II.

4. Lee Krasner studied under Hans Hofmann.

Training with Hans Hofmann deeply influenced Lee Krasner’s understanding of colour theory and spatial tension. Hofmann’s “push-pull” theory became foundational in her development as an abstract painter.

5. Lee Krasner married Jackson Pollock in 1945.

In 1945, Lee Krasner married Jackson Pollock and moved to Springs, Long Island. While Pollock became internationally famous for his drip paintings, Lee Krasner continued to build her own body of work in the same artistic environment.

6. Lee Krasner played a crucial role in Jackson Pollock’s career.

Lee Krasner introduced Jackson Pollock to important critics and collectors and helped organise exhibitions that advanced his reputation within Abstract Expressionism. Art historians widely acknowledge Lee Krasner’s strategic influence during Pollock’s rise to fame.

7. Lee Krasner continually reinvented her artistic style.

One hallmark of Lee Krasner’s career is reinvention. From the tightly structured “Little Image” paintings to later large-scale gestural canvases, Lee Krasner refused to settle into one recognisable formula. Innovation was central to her identity as an Abstract Expressionist artist.

8. Lee Krasner destroyed paintings she considered unsuccessful.

Lee Krasner was fiercely self-critical. She frequently cut up earlier canvases or painted over them if they failed to meet her standards. Some of her later masterpieces were constructed from fragments of rejected works — reflecting resilience and creative transformation.

9. After Pollock’s death, Lee Krasner managed his estate.

Following Jackson Pollock’s death in 1956, Lee Krasner became executor of his estate. Her careful management helped secure Pollock’s international legacy while she continued to pursue recognition for her own Abstract Expressionist paintings.

10. Lee Krasner is now recognised as a major modern artist in her own right.

In 1984, the Museum of Modern Art mounted a major retrospective of Lee Krasner’s work — a landmark moment for a woman associated with Abstract Expressionism. Today, Lee Krasner is firmly established as a foundational figure in American modern art.

Why Lee Krasner Matters Today

For readers searching for information about Lee Krasner and Jackson Pollock, Lee Krasner paintings, or women in Abstract Expressionism, her story is one of determination, artistic courage, and lifelong reinvention.

If you would like to explore Lee Krasner’s life more deeply — including her marriage, her struggles for recognition in a male-dominated art world, and her enduring contribution to Abstract Expressionism — you may enjoy my historical novel , inspired by the true story of Lee Krasner.

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I am not sure of any one book that gave me a sense of adventure, but many of the stories of  women travelling to exotic locations such as ‘Under the Tuscan Sun’ by Frances Mayes have, no doubt, given me a fearlessness for the idea of travelling alone as well as an attraction to the Mediterranean. In 2010 I travelled to Spain for a month, solo, and loved every minute of it. Camera in hand, I walked tens of thousands of steps, took thousands of photos; audioguides in situ I wandered the halls of wonderful art galleries and I hopped on and off buses across Barcelona, Sans Sebastian, Bilbao, Madrid, Toledo and Malaga. I loved it …. every single minute of it, and would go back tomorrow if I could!
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Occasionally, a book arrives in our lives and has an extraordinary impact. For me one book was ‘The Diary of Anne Frank’ which I stumbled upon as a twelve year old. It was a great story – an exciting drama; a young girl, locked in an attic for an extended period, the intrigue of her situation – remaining hidden through war time, a romance which was fascinating to my twelve year old self. And then came ‘The End’ – and ‘The Afterword’. The news that Anne and her family had been captured and moved to a concentration camp in 1945. That she and her sister had died, probably from typhus, only months later. The realisation that this was a true story!
I cannot describe the magnitude of the shock I experienced when reading about the outcome of Anne’s life. Had it not been revealed, I would have set the book aside with all of the other ‘happy ever after’ books that I had read as a child. The evils of war may not have struck so deeply. However, this clearly was no ‘happy ever after’ ending and, for me, The Diary of Anna Frank was my introduction to understanding the terrible consequences of racist extremism, and was integral to shaping my own lifelong stance against racist ideology.

Which book had a profound effect on your life?

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I remember, as a five-year-old, walking home from school, past the Camberwell Public Library, navigating the stairs, asking if I could borrow a book and being given a membership application card for my parents to fill in. Furthermore, I remember the very book that I ever borrowed – The Story About Ping – which our teacher had read to us that very week. I was thrilled to have it in my possession. Throughout my primary school years, I sat in class with a book discretely tucked below my desk, only to be rudely interrupted by the teacher – ‘Penny – I hope you are not reading again!’I made my way through Enid Blyton, the Bronte’s, Dickens (probably abridged editions for children) and anything else I could get my hands on. As a twelve-year-old, I was thrilled by ‘Fifteen’ by Beverly Cleary because of its reference to a ‘first kiss’, and read this multiple times.