Study for The Artist and His Mother

c. 1934-1936

Arshile Gorky

Associated Names
Arshile Gorky

Artist, American, born Van Province, Ottoman Empire (now Turkey), c. 1904 - 1948

The image is a pencil drawing on gridded paper, depicting two figures from head to foot. The person on the left is standing, while the person on the right appears to be seated. The standing figure has short hair and distinct facial features, holding a flower in one hand. They are dressed in a long coat with buttons and pants, paired with shoes. The seated figure has a headscarf covering their head, with facial features drawn in a stylized manner. They wear a long-sleeved garment that covers much of their body and there are slight indications of a chair or bench supporting them. The background is a simple grid pattern with some shading.
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Artwork overview

  • Medium

    graphite on squared paper

  • Credit Line

    Ailsa Mellon Bruce Fund

  • Dimensions

    overall: 61 x 48.3 cm (24 x 19 in.)

  • Accession Number

    1979.13.4

  • Catalogue Raisonné

    Costello, No.D0659

  • Copyright

    © 1997 The Estate of Arshile Gorky / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York


Artwork history & notes

Provenance

by descent to Agnes Gorky, the artist's wife; (Estate of Arshile Gorky, Xavier Fourcade, Inc., New York); purchased 1979 by NGA.

Associated Names

Exhibition History

1962

  • Arshile Gorky, 1904–1948, Museum of Modern Art, New York, December 19, 1962–February 12, 1963. (Exhibition catalogue: Seitz 1962), no. 16, ill. in b/w, p. 17; p. 53, as "The Artist and His Mother," n.d.

1965

  • Arshile Gorky: Paintings and Drawings, Tate Gallery, London; Palais des Beaux-Arts, Brussels; Museum Boymans-Van Beuningen, Rotterdam, 1965, no. 17, repro.

1969

  • Gorky: Drawings, M. Knoedler & Co. Inc, New York, November 25–December 27, 1969. (Exhibition catalogue: Jordan 1969), no. 45, ill. in b/w, p. 30; p. 57, as "The Artist and His Mother," dated c. 1936.

1977

  • Malerei und Photographie im Dialog von 1840 bis Heute, Kunsthaus ZurichMay 13–July 24, 1977, no. 53, ill. in b/w, p. 31, as "Zeichnung zum Gemälde "Arshile Gorky mit seiner Mutter"".

1981

  • Arshile Gorky 1904–1948: A Retrospective, Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, New York, April 24–July 19, 1981, no. 74, ill. in b/w, p. 121, as "Portrait of the Artist and His Mother," dated c. 1936.

1989

  • Arshile Gorky, Fundacion Caja de Pensiones, Madrid; The Whitechapel Art Gallery, London, 1989-1990.

2002

  • Arshile Gorky Portraits, Gagosian Gallery, New York, 2002, unnumbered catalogue reproduction.

2003

  • Arshile Gorky Drawings Retrospective, Whitney Museum of American Art, New York; The Menil Collection, Houston, 2003-2004, no. 57.

2006

  • Arshile Gorky, Fresno Art Museum, 2006, plate 57.

2009

  • Arshile Gorky: A Retrospective, Philadelphia Museum of Art; Tate Modern, London; The Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles, 2009-2010, no. 29, repro. (shown only in Philadelphia).

Bibliography

1978

  • Carmean, E.A., Jr. and Eliza E. Rathbone. American Art at Mid-Century: The Subjects of the Artist. Exh. cat. National Gallery of Art, 1978: fig.11.

1981

  • Waldman, D., Arshile Gorky, 1904-1948 : a retrospective. New York, 1981: 74.

1984

  • Lader, Melvin P. "Arshile Gorky's The Artist and His Mother: Further Study of its Evolution, Sources, and Meaning." Arts Magazine 58, no. 5 (January 1984): 98, 99, fig. 4; 99 note 27.

2002

  • Arshile Gorky Portraits. Exh. cat. Gagosian Gallery, New York, 2002: p. 23.

2009

  • Taylor, Michael R. ed. Arshile Gorky: A Retrospective. Exh. cat., Philadelphia Museum of Art; Tate Modern, London, England; the Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles, 2009-2010, no. 29.

Inscriptions

across top: (numbers 1-19); vertical along right edge: (numbers 1-24); in later hand, vertical along left edge verso: PORTRait of the ARTiST / with his MOtheR/ Agnes Phillips Collection

Markings

None.

Watermarks

None.

Wikidata ID

Q64536486

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