Arshile Gorky Catalogue Raisonné
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Catalogue Entry

D0169
[Nighttime, Enigma, and Nostalgia: Objects]
c. 1931–34
India ink on paper
21 3/4 x 29 3/8 in. (55.2 x 74.6 cm)
Not inscribed
Exhibitions
Everett Ellin Gallery, Los Angeles, Arshile Gorky: Forty Drawings from the Period 1929 thru 1947, April 9–May 5, 1962, no. 1, ill. in b/w, as "Untitled," dated 1929–32.
Oklahoma Art Center, Oklahoma City, An Exhibition of Drawings by Arshile Gorky, October 28–November 25, 1973, no. 1, ill. in b/w, p. 2; p. 34, as "Untitled," dated c. 1929–32. Traveled to: Arkansas Art Center, Little Rock, December 9, 1973–January 6, 1974; New Orleans Museum of Art, January 20–February 17, 1974; Amarillo Art Center, Texas, March 10–April 7, 1974; University Museum Illinois State University, Normal, April 21–May 19, 1974.
Hayden Gallery, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Drawings by Five Abstract Expressionist Painters: Arshile Gorky, Willem de Kooning, Jackson Pollock, Franz Kline, Philip Guston, February 21–March 26, 1975, no. 2, as "Nighttime, Enigma and Nostalgia," dated c. 1929-32.
Fundação Calouste Gulbenkian, Centro de Arte Moderna José Azeredo Perdigão, Lisbon, Arshile Gorky: Collection Mooradian, October 24–November 25, 1984, no. 14, ill. in color, p. 102, as "Nighttime, Enigma and Nostalgia," 1931. Traveled to: Centre Culturel Portugais, Paris, January 17–March 9, 1985.
Musée National d'Art Moderne, Centre National d'Art et de Culture Georges Pompidou, Paris, and Fundação Calouste Gulbenkian, Centro de Arte Moderna José Azeredo Perdigão, Lisbon (organizers), Arshile Gorky: Hommage, 2007, ill. in color, p. 46, as "Nuit, énigme et nostalgie / Nighttime, Enigma and Nostalgia," dated c. 1931. Traveled to: Centre Culturel Calouste Gulbenkian, Paris, April 2–June 4, 2007; Musée National d'Art Moderne, Centre National d'Art et de Culture Georges Pompidou, Paris, April 2–June 4, 2007.
Fundação Calouste Gulbenkian, Centro de Arte Moderna José Azeredo Perdigão, Lisbon, Arshile Gorky e a Coleção, June 4, 2014–May 31, 2015, ill. in color, p. 6, as "Nighttime, Enigma and Nostalgia / Noite, Enigma e Nostalgia," dated 1931.
Literature
Mooradian, Karlen. "The Gardener from Eden." Ararat (New York) 9 (Winter 1968), ill. in b/w, p. 9, as "Enigma," dated 1929–1932.
Mooradian, Karlen. Arshile Gorky Adoian. Chicago: Gilgamesh Press, 1978. Monograph, fig. 34, ill. in b/w, p. 31, as "Nighttime, Enigma and Nostalgia," dated 1931.
Mooradian, Karlen. The Many Worlds of Arshile Gorky. Chicago: Gilgamesh Press, 1980. Monograph, fig. 41, ill. in b/w, p. 238, as "Nighttime, Enigma and Nostalgia," dated 1931.
Mooradian, Karlen, and Takahiko Okada. アーシル・ゴーキー: ある異邦人との対話 (The Life of Arshile Gorky). Tokyo: PARCO Co. Ltd., 1982. Monograph, no. 14, ill. in color, pp. 28–29, as "Nighttime, Enigma and Nostalgia," dated 1931.
Notes
Watermark / Stamp: Schoellershammer
Schoellershammer paper with blindstamp, upper left: DRAWINGART / REGISTERED / GERMANY

Verso, in pencil, lower left [not in artist's hand]: 3 [sideways and circled]; AGd2; in ink, upper right: 193[?] 2; 34 [circled]; in blue ink: [illegible]

The verso inscription information and marking are known from the records of the Arshile Gorky Foundation.

On loan: Art Institute of Chicago, January 15, 1964–September 19, 1984.

On loan: Fundação Calouste Gulbenkian, Lisbon, 1985–present.

Commentary

In 1929, Gorky began a series of abstract works which is now referred to as "Nighttime, Enigma, and Nostalgia." While he continued working on this until 1936, it was between 1931 and 1934 when he was most dedicated to developing the composition. Ultimately, he produced nearly one hundred drawings and three related paintings. The body of work can be divided into subsets, such as Objects and Enigma, which were Gorky's own titles, as well as the posthumously titled "Fish and Head," "Column with Objects" and "Écorché." The drawing is part of the subset Objects, of which there are thirty-two known examples. Its title derives from that which Gorky gave to the drawing (D0140) when it was acquired by the Museum of Modern Art in January 1941 (see that work's commentary). 

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