1931–32

Prints and Drawings

It is likely that Katherine Dreier came to know Arshile Gorky through her strong relationships with John Graham and David Burliuk. Her interest in the Armenian exile’s work reflected her commitment to eastern European abstraction. The first annual report of the Société Anonyme stated that the organization would not exhibit “sketches and half-completed works,” and clearly, this remarkable two-sided drawing maintains this standard, as it is a rich expression of Gorky’s mature work. The plastic, biomorphic forms that anchor the undefined abstract ground are typical of the artist’s work of this period. The broad array of cross-hatching, drawing, and shading, realized in a range of media, exemplifies Gorky’s deft ability as a draftsman to create an abstract image that is powerfully evocative.

Medium

Pen, brush, black and brown ink; another drawing of the same subject on verso

Dimensions

sheet: 22 11/16 × 28 7/8 in. (57.7 × 73.3 cm)

Credit Line

Gift of Collection Société Anonyme

Accession Number

1941.487

Culture
Period

20th century

Classification
Disclaimer

Note: This electronic record was created from historic documentation that does not necessarily reflect the Yale University Art Gallery’s complete or current knowledge about the object. Review and updating of records is ongoing.

Provenance

Provenance

Bought. The Artist's Guild, West 57th St., NY
Bibliography
  • Frauke V. Josenhans et al., Artists in Exile: Expressions of Loss and Hope (New Haven, Conn.: Yale University Art Gallery, 2017), 118, fig. 1
  • Robert S. Mattison, Arshile Gorky: Works and Writings, Poligrafa ed. (Barcelona: Poligrafa, 2009), 37, ill.
  • Ruth L. Bohan et al., The Société Anonyme: Modernism for America, ed. Jennifer Gross, exh. cat. (New Haven, Conn.: Yale University Art Gallery, 2006), 174, ill.
Object copyright
Additional information

Object/Work type

abstract (general art genre)

Subject

night shapes

Technical metadata and APIs

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