Hathorn Gallery, Skidmore College, Saratoga Springs, New York, The Drawings of Arshile Gorky, October 21–November 9, 1969, no. 6, ill. in b/w, as "Untitled Drawing," 1931.

1969e New York

M. Knoedler & Co. Inc, New York, Gorky: Drawings, November 25–December 27, 1969. (Exhibition catalogue: Jordan 1969), no. 30, ill. in b/w, p. 26; p. 56, as "Untitled," dated 1931.

1971 Hannover

Galerie Brusberg, Hannover, Germany, Arshile Gorky, June 18–August 31, 1971, ill. in b/w, p. 9, as "ohne Titel".

1972 Toronto

Dunkelman Gallery, Toronto, Arshile Gorky, 1904–1948, October 14–20, 1972, no. 5, ill. in b/w, as "Untitled (from sketchbook)," dated 1931.

1973 Hannover

Galerie Brusberg, Hannover, Germany, Umkreis Surrealismus, 1973, no. 17/75, ill. in b/w, p. 25, as "ohne Titel".

Literature

Levy 1966

Levy, Julien. Arshile Gorky. New York: Harry N. Abrams, Inc., 1966. Monograph, pl. 54, ill. in b/w (upside down), p. 78, as "Untitled".

Mellow 1968

Mellow, James R. "The Most Elegant Stylist." Review of Arshile Gorky, by Julien Levy. New York Times Book Review, March 31, 1968, ill. in b/w (upside down), p. 7, as "Untitled".

Notes

The drawing has been exhibited as "from [a] sketchbook," indicating that the paper used for the drawing was removed from a sketchbook, which is unknown.

Commentary

After living in Paris during the late 1920s, Julien Levy (1906–1981) returned to his birthplace of New York, opening a small gallery in 1931 at 602 Madison Avenue, specializing in Surrealist art and photography. Gorky came to the gallery frequently in the hopes of obtaining a show, offering examples of his work to Levy, such as this drawing, which the dealer purchased.¹Although Levy acquired several works and lent Gorky money, he did not offer him a contract at the time, finding his work too derivative.²When first showing Levy a sample portfolio in the winter of 1932, Gorky reportedly exclaimed, “I was with Cézanne for a long time, and now naturally I am with Picasso. . . .” Levy, in turn, responded that he would show his work, "someday, when you are with Gorky. . . ."³

Gorky was offered a formal contract with Levy's gallery in December 1944. His debut solo show opened in March 1945.⁴

1. Julien Levy Gallery Records, 1932 Ledger, Philadelphia Museum of Art, Library and Archives.

2. Julien Levy, "Foreword," in Arshile Gorky: Paintings, Drawings, Studies, exh. cat. (New York: Museum of Modern Art, 1962), 7.

3. Ibid.

4. Julien Levy Gallery, New York, Arshile Gorky, March 6–31, 1945. The drawings that appeared in the exhibition have not been conclusively identified as any of the artworks within the current installment of the catalogue raisonné.

After works by other artists: Picasso

Related Work

Composition No. 3

c. 1929–30

Oil on canvas

P078

Oil on canvas

Record last updated April 28, 2023. Please note that the information on this and all pages is periodically reviewed and subject to change.

Citation: The Arshile Gorky Foundation. "(Untitled), c. 1929–30, D0116." In Arshile Gorky Catalogue Raisonné. https://www.gorkycatalogue.org/catalogue/entry.php?id=125 (accessed on September 27, 2023).