loading 
Catalogue Entry
enlarge
Photo: © The Museum of Modern Art/Licensed by SCALA / Art Resource, NY
P323
Agony
1947
Oil on canvas
40 x 50 1/2 in. (101.6 x 128.3 cm)
Front, center left: A. Gorky / 47 / [paraph]
Reverse not seen
Reverse not seen
Provenance
The artist
Julien Levy Gallery, New York (1947)
Julien Levy, Bridgewater, Connecticut (1949)
Museum of Modern Art, New York (March 14, 1950)
Exhibitions
1948b New York
Julien Levy Gallery, New York, Arshile Gorky, February 29–March 20, 1948, no. 14, as Agony.1950b New York
Museum of Modern Art, New York, Recent Acquisitions, March 28–May 7, 1950.1950 Colorado Springs
Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center, New Accessions USA, July 2–September 4, 1950, no. 35, ill. in b/w, as Agony.1951a New York
Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, Arshile Gorky Memorial Exhibition, January 5–February 18, 1951, no. 45, ill. in color, p. 9; p. 47, as Agony. Traveled to: Walker Art Center, Minneapolis, March 4–April 22, 1951; San Francisco Museum of Art, California, May 9–July 9, 1951.1951–52 CE–MoMA
Museum of Modern Art, New York, Department of Circulating Exhibitions (organizer), Abstract Painting and Sculpture in America, 1951–52, no. 38, ill. in color, p. 127; p. 151, as Agony. Traveled to: Museum of Modern Art, New York, January 23–March 25, 1951; Dallas Museum of Fine Arts, October 1–22, 1951; St. Paul Gallery and School of Art, Minnesota, November 5–26, 1951; Winnipeg Art Gallery, Manitoba, Canada, December 10–31, 1951; Toledo Museum of Art, Ohio, January 14–28, 1952; J.B. Speed Art Museum, Louisville, Kentucky, February 18–March 10, 1952; Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, March 24–April 14, 1952.1951–52 Brooklyn
Brooklyn Museum, New York, Revolution and Tradition: An Exhibition of the Chief Movements in American Painting from 1900 to the Present, November 15, 1951–January 6, 1952, no. 55, p. 11, as Agony.1952a New York
Wildenstein & Co, New York, Loan Exhibition of Seventy XX Century American Paintings (Chosen by the Art Critics of Art Digest, Art News, Life Magazine of Art, New York Herald Tribune; New York Times, and Time), February 21–March 22, 1952, no. 36, as Agony.1952 Princeton
Princeton University Art Museum, New Jersey, Arshile Gorky: A Loan Exhibition of Paintings and Drawings, October 6–26, 1952, no. 17, as Agony.1953–54 Paris
Musée national d'art moderne, Centre Georges Pompidou, Paris, 12 peintres et sculpteurs américains contemporains, April 24–June 7, 1953, no. 12, ill. in b/w, pl. 17, as "Agonie". Traveled to: Kunsthaus Zurich, July 25–August 30, 1953; Kunstsammlungen der Stadt Düsseldorf, September 20–October 25, 1953; Liljevalchs Konsthall, Stockholm, November 24–December 20, 1953; Taidehalli-Konsthallen, Helsinki, January 8–24, 1954; Kunstnernes Hus, Oslo, February 18–March 7, 1954.1955–56 IC–MoMA
Museum of Modern Art, New York, International Council (organizer), Modern Art in the United States: Selections from the Collections of the Museum of Modern Art, 1955–56, ill. in b/w, as Agony, [Paris: no. 75, ill. in b/w, pl. 24; Barcelona: no. 75, ill. in b/w, pl. 26; Frankfurt: no. 75, ill. in b/w, p. 54; London: no. 75, ill. in. b/w, pl. XX; The Hague: no. 92, ill. in b/w, fig. 34; Vienna: no. 75, ill. in b/w, p. 60; Belgrade: no. 75, ill. in b/w, p. 60]. Traveled to: Musée National d'Art Moderne, Paris, March 30–May 15, 1955 (as Cinquante ans d'art aux Etats–Unis); Kunsthaus Zurich, July 16–August 28, 1955 (as Moderne Kunst aus U.S.A.); Palacio de la Virveina, Barcelona, September 24–October 24, 1955 (as 3 Bienal Hispano–Americano de Arte: El Arte Moderno en el Estados Unidos); Städelschen Kunstinstitut, Frankfurt, November 13–December 11, 1955 (as Moderne Kunst aus U.S.A.); Tate Gallery, London, January 5–February 12, 1956 (as Modern Art in the United States); Gemeente-Museum, The Hague, March 2–April 15, 1956 (as 50 jaar moderne kunst in de U.S.A.); Wiener Secession Galerie, Vienna, May 5–June 2, 1956 (as Moderne Kunst aus U.S.A.); Kalemagdan Pavilion, Belgrade, Yugoslavia, July 7–August 6, 1956 (as Savremena utmetnos U.S.A.D.).1957f New York
Sidney Janis Gallery, New York, 33 Paintings by Arshile Gorky, December 2–28, 1957. (Exhibition catalogue: Sidney Janis Gallery 1957), no. 31, ill. in b/w, as Agony.1958–59 IC–MoMA
Museum of Modern Art, New York, International Council (organizer), The New American Painting: As Shown in Eight European Countries, 1958–59, as Agony, [Basel: 17; Milan: ill. in color, p. 34; Madrid: no. 17; Amsterdam: no. 17, ill. in b/w; Brussels: no. 17; Paris: no. 16; London: no. 16; New York: no. 16, ill. in color, p. 35]. Traveled to: Kunsthalle Basel, Switzerland, April 19–May 26, 1958 (as Die neue amerikanische Malerei); Galleria Civica d'Arte Moderna, Milan, June 1–30, 1958 (as La Nuova Pittura Americana); Museum Nacional de Art Contemporaneo, Madrid, July 16–August 11, 1958 (as La Nueva Pintura Americana); Hochschule für Bildende Kunste, Berlin, September 1–October 1, 1958 (as Die neue amerikanische Malerei); Stedelijk Museum, Amsterdam, October 17–November 24, 1958 (as Jong Amerika schildert); Palais des Beaux-Arts de Bruxelles, Brussels, December 6, 1958–January 4, 1959 (as La nouvelle peinture américaine); Musée National d'Art Moderne, Paris, January 16–February 15, 1959 (as Jackson Pollock et la nouvelle peinture américaine); Tate Gallery, London, February 24–March 22, 1959; Museum of Modern Art, New York, May 28–September 8, 1959.1962 Venice
XXXI Biennale di Venezia: Internazionale d'Arte, U.S. Pavillion, Venice, Italy, Arshile Gorky, June 16–October 7, 1962, no. 26, ill. in b/w, pl. 91; p. 114, as "Agonia".1962–63b New York
Museum of Modern Art, New York, Arshile Gorky, 1904–1948, December 19, 1962–February 12, 1963. (Exhibition catalogue: Seitz 1962), no. 101, ill. in b/w, p. 41; p. 55, as Agony. Traveled to: Washington Gallery of Modern Art, D.C., March 12–April 14, 1963.1963–64 Washington, D.C.
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C., Paintings from the Museum of Modern Art, New York, December 17, 1963–March 1, 1964, ill. in color, p. 75, as Agony.1965 AC–London
Arts Council of Great Britain, London (organizer), Tate Gallery, Arshile Gorky: Paintings and Drawings, April 2–May 2, 1965, no. 84, as Agony.1969b New York
Museum of Modern Art, New York, The New American Painting and Sculpture: The First Generation, June 18–October 5, 1969, no. 25, as Agony.1969–70 Pasadena
Pasadena Art Museum, California, Painting in New York: 1944 to 1969, November 24, 1969–January 11, 1970, no. 3, ill. in b/w, p. 21.1972 Philadelphia
Philadelphia Museum of Art, American Art Since 1945: A Loan Exhibition from The Museum of Modern Art, September 15–October 22, 1972, as Agony.1979 Cleveland
Cleveland Museum of Art, The Spirit of Surrealism, October 3–November 25, 1979, no. 87, ill. in b/w, p. 146, as Agony.1981–82 New York
Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, New York, Arshile Gorky 1904–1948: A Retrospective, April 24–July 19, 1981, no. 220, ill. in color, p. 237, as Agony. Traveled to: Dallas Museum of Fine Arts, September 12–November 6, 1981; Los Angeles County Museum of Art, December 3, 1981–February 28, 1982.1987 Buffalo
Albright-Knox Art Gallery, Buffalo, New York, Abstract Expressionism: The Critical Developments, September 19–November 29, 1987, no. 10, ill. in color, p. 176, as Agony.1995–96 Fort Worth / Buffalo
Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth and Albright-Knox Art Gallery, Buffalo (organizers), Arshile Gorky: The Breakthrough Years, 1995–96, no. 14, ill. in color, p. 117, as Agony. Traveled to: National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C., May 7–September 17, 1995; Albright-Knox Art Gallery, Buffalo, New York, October 13–December 31, 1995; Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth, Texas, January 13–March 17, 1996.2007 Paris
Centre Georges Pompidou, Paris, and Fundação Calouste Gulbenkian, Lisbon (organizers), Arshile Gorky: Hommage, 2007, ill. in color (detail), cover; ill. in color, p. 79, as "Agonie / Agony". Traveled to: Centre culturel Calouste Gulbenkian, Paris, April 2–June 4, 2007; Centre Georges Pompidou, Paris, April 2–June 4, 2007.2009–10 Philadelphia
Philadelphia Museum of Art, Arshile Gorky: A Retrospective, October 15, 2009–January 10, 2010. (Exhibition catalogue: Taylor 2009a), pl. 165, ill. in color, p. 327; p. 392, as Agony. Traveled to: Tate Modern, London, February 10–May 3, 2010 (Gale 2010); Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles, June 6–September 20, 2010 (Gale 2010).2010–11a New York
Museum of Modern Art, New York, Abstract Expressionist New York, October 3, 2010–April 25, 2011, no. 33, ill. in color, p. 52, as Agony.2018c New York
Mnuchin Gallery, New York, Reds, April 27–June 9, 2018, p. 20, ill. in color, p. 21, as Agony.Literature
Greenberg 1948b
Greenberg, Clement. "Art." The Nation (New York) 166 (March 20, 1948), discussed, p. 332, as Agony.Greenberg 1948c
Greenberg, Clement. "Art Chronicle: The Decline of Cubism." Partisan Review (New York) 15, no. 3 (March 1948), ill. in b/w (repr. 90 degrees counterclockwise), as Agony.Stephan 1948a
Stephan, Ruth, ed. The Tiger's Eye (New York) 1, no. 3 (March 15, 1948), ill. in, p. 103, as Agony.Boswell 1950
Boswell, Peyton, Jr. "Modern Manifesto Repercussions." Art Digest (New York) 24, no. 14 (April 15, 1950), discussed, p. 5, as "one more [painting aquired by MoMA] by the late Arshile Gorky".Genauer 1950
Genauer, Emily. "Questions of Museum Policy Raised By Statement of Three Institutions." New York Herald Tribune, April 2, 1950, discussed, as "one more [painting] by the late Arshile Gorky".Life 1950
"What Do U.S. Museums Buy?" Life (New York) 29, no. 5 (July 31, 1950), discussed, p. 46; ill. in color (in situ), p. 47, as Agony.Devree 1950a
Devree, Howard. "Double Exhibition in Modern Museum." New York Times, March 29, 1950, discussed, p. 27, as Agony.Devree 1950b
Devree, Howard. "By Contemporaries." New York Times, April 2, 1950, discussed, sec. 2, p. 8, as Agony.MoMA Bulletin 1950–51
"Painting and Sculpture Acquisitions from July 1, 1949 through July 1, 1950." The Museum of Modern Art Bulletin (New York) 18 (Winter 1950–1951), ill. in b/w, p. 21, as Agony.Ballard 1951
Ballard, Louis. "Art." Arts & Architecture (Los Angeles) 68 (May 1951), discussed, p. 11, as Agony.de Kooning 1951
de Kooning, Elaine. "Gorky: Painter of his Own Legend." Artnews (New York) 49, no. 9 (January 1951), discussed, p. 65, as Agony.Baur 1951a
Baur, John I.H. "Modern American Art and Its Critics." Art in America (New York) 39 (April 1951), fig. 5, ill. in b/w, p. 63, as Agony.Goodrich 1951a
Goodrich, Lloyd. "Eight Works by Arshile Gorky with Notes by Lloyd Goodrich." Magazine of Art (Washington, D.C.) 44 (February 1951), ill. in b/w, p. 61, as Agony.Baur 1951b
Baur, John I.H. Revolution and Tradition in Modern American Art. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1951, ill. in b/w, fig. 91, n.p., as Agony.Devree 1951b
Devree, Howard. "A Memorable Year: The Modern Movement at Its 1913 Pitch—The Whitney's Gorky Memorial." New York Times, January 7, 1951, ill. in b/w, sec. 2, p. 9, as Agony.Baur 1951c
Baur, John I.H. "American Art After 25 Years: A Richer Diversity Than Ever Before." Art Digest (New York) 26 (November 1, 1951), ill. in b/w, p. 19, as Agony.Devree 1951d
Devree, Howard. "In A Wide Range." New York Times, February 18, 1951, discussed, sec. 2, p. 6, as Agony.Fitzsimmons 1952
Fitzsimmons, James. "Art for Export: Will It Survive the Voyage?" Art Digest (New York) 26 (January 1, 1952), discussed, p. 9, as Agony.Loftus 1952
Loftus, John. "Arshile Gorky: A Monograph." M.A. Thesis, Columbia University, New York, 1952, pl. XXXVII, ill. in b/w, as Agony.Reinhardt 1952
Reinhardt, Ad. "Our Favorites: Homage to the New York Art Critics Circle." Artnews (New York) 51, no. 1 (March 1952), p. 67, as Agony.Angell 1953
Angell, Roger. "Museum of Modern Art." Holiday Magazine (New York) 14, no. 5 (November 1953), ill. in color (in situ), pp. 60–61, as Agony.Stahly 1953
Stahly, François. "Pariser Kunstchronik." Werk (Bern, Switzerland) 40 (1953), ill. in b/w, p. 92, as "L'Angoisse".Barr 1954
Barr, Alfred H., Jr., ed. Masters of Modern Art. New York: The Museum of Modern Art, distributed by Simon and Schuster, 1954, ill. in color, p. 175, as Agony.Mooradian 1955
Mooradian, Karlen. "Arshile Gorky." Armenian Review (Watertown, MA) 8, no. 2 (Summer 1955), discussed, p. 57, as Agony.Coates 1957
Coates, Robert M. "The Art Galleries." The New Yorker 33 (December 14, 1957), discussed, p. 142, as Agony.Goodrich 1957
Goodrich, Lloyd. "Arshile Gorky." In New Art in America, John I.H. Baur, ed. Greenwich, CT: New York Graphic Society, 1957, ill. in b/w, p. 191, as Agony.Schapiro 1957
Schapiro, Meyer. "Gorky: The Creative Influence." Artnews (New York) 56, no. 5 (September 1957), discussed, p. 51, as Agony.Schwabacher 1957
Schwabacher, Ethel. Arshile Gorky. Introduction by Meyer Schapiro. New York: The Macmillan Company for the Whitney Museum of American Art, 1957. Monograph, pl. IV, ill. in color, as Agony.Borgese 1958
Borgese, Leonardo. "Alla Galleria d'Arte Moderna: Candore e Conformismo della 'Nuova Pittura Americana.'" Corriere Della Sera (Milan), June 8, 1958, discussed, p. 3, as "Agonia".Museum of Modern Art 1958
Painting and Sculpture in the Museum of Modern Art: A Catalog. New York: The Museum of Modern Art, 1958, discussed, p. 27, as Agony.Nieuwe Rotterdamse Courant 1958
"Abstracte kunst uit Amerika en van Nederlanders." Nieuwe Rotterdamse Courant (Amsterdam), November 15, 1958, ill. in b/w, as "Angst".Time 1958
"Abstract Expressionism Abroad." Time (New York) 72, no. 5 (August 4, 1958), ill. in color, p. 44, as Agony.Rudikoff 1958a
Rudikoff, Sonya. "Gorky and Tomlin." Review of Arshile Gorky, by Ethel Schwabacher. Partisan Review (New York) 25, no. 1 (Winter 1958), discussed, p. 160, as Agony.Guéguen 1959
Guéguen, Pierre. "Pollock et la Nouvelle Peinture Amèricaine." Aujourd'hui Art et Architecture (Paris) 21 (March–April 1959), ill. in b/w, p. 33, as "Agonie".Sidney Janis Gallery 1959
Late Drawings by Gorky. New York: Sidney Janis Gallery, 1959. Exhibition catalogue (1959b New York), no. 39, ill. in b/w (in situ), as Agony in in "Gallery View, Gorky Exhibition, December 1957".Rosenberg 1960
Rosenberg, Harold. "Arshile Gorky: The Last Move." The Hudson Review (New York) 13 (Spring 1960), discussed, p. 110, as Agony.Barilli 1961
Barilli, Renato. "La Pittura di Arshile Gorky." La Biennale 43 (April–June 1961), ill. in color, p. 17, as Agony.Reiff 1961
Reiff, Robert F. "A Stylistic Analysis of Arshile Gorky's Art from 1943–1948." Ph.D. diss., Columbia University, New York, 1961, fig. 54, ill. in b/w, p. 332, as Agony.Boatto 1962
Boatto, Alberto. "L'itinerario di Gorky." Arte Oggi (Rome) 14 (June–December 1962), discussed, p. 11, as "Agonia".Debran 1962
Debran, Jane. "The Genius of Gorky on View." Brooklyn Daily Eagle (New York), December 28, 1962, ill., p. 8, as Agony.Goldwater 1962
Goldwater, Robert. "The Genius of the Moujik." Review of Arshile Gorky: The Man, the Time, the Idea, by Harold Rosenberg. Saturday Review (New York) 45 (May 19, 1962), discussed, p. 38, as Agony.Rosenberg 1962a
Rosenberg, Harold. Arshile Gorky: The Man, the Time, the Idea. New York: Horizon Press, 1962. Monograph, ill. in color, pp. 38–39, as Agony.Ashton 1962b
Ashton, Dore. "Arshile Gorky peintre romantique." XXe siècle (Paris) 19 (June 1962), ill. in color (repr. in reverse), p. 81, as "Agonie".Ahlander 1963
Ahlander, Leslie Judd. "Gorky, Greene Are on Exhibit." The Washington Post, March 17, 1963, discussed, p. G6, as Agony.Alloway 1963
Alloway, Lawrence. "Gorky." Artforum (San Francisco) 1, no. 9 (March 1963), discussed, p. 30, as Agony.Dennison 1963
Dennison, George. "The Crisis Art of Arshile Gorky." Arts Magazine (New York) 37 (February 1963), ill. in b/w, p. 17, as Agony.Kramer 1963
Kramer, Hilton. "Art." The Nation (New York) 196 (January 12, 1963), discussed p. 39, as "The Agony".Rubin 1963
Rubin, William. "Arshile Gorky, Surrealism, and the New American Painting." Art International (Paris) 7, no. 2 (February 25, 1963), ill. in b/w, p. 36, as Agony.Wilson 1963
Wilson, Jack. "Where We Stand: Our Planet." Look Magazine (Des Moines) (January 15, 1963), ill. in color, p. 37, as Agony.Reiff 1963a
Reiff, Robert. "The Late Works of Arshile Gorky: A Critical Estimate." Art Journal (New York) 22, no. 3 (Spring 1963), fig. 2, ill. in b/w, p. 151, discussed, p. 150, as Agony.Ashton 1963b
Ashton, Dore. "New York." Das Kunstwerk (Stuttgart, Germany) 16, no. 10 (April 1963), discussed, p. 31, as Agony.Hoyland 1965
Hoyland, Francis. "The composer." The Listener (London) (April 15, 1965), discussed, p. 568, as Agony.Seddon 1965
Seddon, Richard. "Tate Gallery Show." Birmingham Post (England), April 6, 1965, discussed, p. 18, as Agony.Spencer 1965
Spencer, Charles S. "Gorky Art On View In London." New York Times International, April 13, 1965, ill. in b/w, as Agony.Levy 1966
Levy, Julien. Arshile Gorky. New York: Harry N. Abrams, Inc., 1966. Monograph, pl. 171, ill. in color, p. 195, as Agony.Rose 1967
Rose, Barbara. American Art Since 1900: A Critical History. New York & Washington: Frederick A. Praeger, Inc., 1967, fig. 6–19, ill. in b/w, p. 172.Mooradian 1967a
Mooradian, Karlen. "Arshile Gorky: The Prompter." Harvard Art Review (Cambridge, MA) 2, no. 1 (Winter 1967), ill. in b/w, p. 37, as Agony.Christensen 1968
Christensen, Erwin O. A Guide to Art Museums in the United States. New York: Dodd, Mead & Company, 1968, fig. 178, ill. in b/w, p. 81, as Agony.Passeron 1968
Passeron, René. Histoire de la peinture surréaliste. Paris: Librairie Le Livre de Poche, 1968, fig. 140, ill. in b/w, p. 244, as "Agonie".Rubin 1968
Rubin, William S. Dada and Surrealist Art. New York: Harry N. Abrams, Inc., 1968, fig. 413, ill. in b/w, p. 397, as Agony.Alexandrian 1969
Alexandrian, Sarane. L'art surréaliste. Paris: Fernand Hazan, 1969, fig. 177, ill. in color, p. 176, as "Agonie".Reiff 1969
Reiff, Robert. "A Drawing by Arshile Gorky: A Study for Agony." North Carolina Museum of Art Bulletin (Raleigh) 8 (June 1969), fig. 2, ill. in b/w, p. 19, as Agony.Rosenberg 1969
Rosenberg, Harold. Artworks and Packages. New York: Horizon Press, 1969, ill. in b/w, p. 203, as Agony.Alexandrian 1970
Alexandrian, Sarane. Surrealist Art. New York and Washington, D.C.: Praeger Publishers, 1970, fig. 176, ill. in color, p. 176, as Agony.Castagnoli 1971
Castagnoli, Pier Giovanni. "Arte 'per il popolo' e solitudine dell'uomo. De Kooning e Gorky alla ricerca del 'capolavoro.'" Il Mulino (Bologna) 20, no. 215 (May–June 1971), discussed, p. 538, as "Agonia".Hunter 1973
Hunter, Sam. American Art of the Twentieth Century. With sections on architecture by John Jacobus. New York: Harry N. Abrams, 1972, 1973, pl. 414, ill. in b/w, p. 229, as Agony.Calas 1975
Calas, Nicolas. "A Tough Nut to Crack." Artforum (New York) 13 (May 1975), ill. in b/w, p. 49, as Agony.Kagitani 1976
Kagitani, Y. "Arshile Gorky: A Man Who Lived in the Middle of Solitude." Mizue (Tokyo) 9, no. 858 (September 1976), ill. in color, p. 27.Barr 1977
Barr, Alfred H., Jr., ed. Painting and Sculpture in the Museum of Modern Art, 1929–1967. New York: The Museum of Modern Art, 1977, ill. in b/w, p. 309, as Agony.Pohribny 1978
Pohribny, Arsén. Abstrakte Malerei. Freiburg, Basel, Vienna: Herder, 1978, no. 44, ill. in color, p. 78, as "Agonie".Pohribny 1979
Pohribny, Arsén. Abstract Painting. Oxford and New York: Phaidon Press Limited and E.P. Dutton, 1979, no. 44, ill. in color, p. 78, as Agony.Cullinan 1981
Cullinan, Helen. "The First and Last of Arshile Gorky." The Plain Dealer (Cleveland), July 5, 1981, ill. in b/w, as Agony.Dallas Museum of Fine Arts Bulletin 1981
"Arshile Gorky Retrospective." Dallas Museum of Fine Arts Bulletin (Fall 1981), ill. in b/w, as Agony.Duppen 1981
Duppen, Leo. "De Poetische Schilderkunst van Arshile Gorky." Kunstbeeld (Amsterdam) (June–July 1981), ill. in b/w, as Agony.Hughes 1981
Hughes, Robert. "Art: The Triumph of Achilles the Bitter." Time (New York) 117, no. 19 (May 11, 1981), discussed, p. 81, as Agony.Jordan 1981
Jordan, Jim M. "Gorky at the Guggenheim." Art Journal (New York) 41, no. 3 (Fall 1981), discussed, p. 264, as Agony.Larson 1981
Larson, Kay. "The Man Who Would Be Best." New York 14 (May 11, 1981), discussed, p. 73, as Agony.McGregor 1981
McGregor, John M. "Arshile Gorky's Agony: The Phallus and the Flame." Express (New York) (Summer 1981), ill. in b/w, p. 5, as Agony.Monte 1981
Monte, James. "The Life and Work of Arshile Gorky." Museum Magazine (Arlington, VA) 2 (June–August 1981), ill. in color, p. 46, as Agony.Morgan 1981
Morgan, S. "Becoming Arshile Gorky." Artscribe (London), no. 31 (October 1981), discussed p. 22, as Agony.Rand 1981
Rand, Harry. Arshile Gorky: The Implication of Symbols. Montclair, NJ: Allanheld, Osmun & Co. Publishers Inc., and London: George Prior Associated Publishers Ltd., 1981. Monograph, fig. 12–1, ill. in b/w, p. 178, as Agony.Waldman 1981
Waldman, Diane. "Arshile Gorky: Poet in Paint." In Arshile Gorky 1904–1948: A Retrospective. New York: Harry N. Abrams, Inc. in collaboration with The Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation, 1981. Exhibition catalogue, discussed p. 54, as Agony.Wolff 1981a
Wolff, Theodore F. "Gorky—Crucial Artist of America's Postwar Era." Christian Science Monitor (Boston) (May 13, 1981), ill. in b/w, p. 18, as Agony.Karp 1982
Karp, Diane. "Arshile Gorky: The Language of Art." Ph.D. diss., University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, 1982, fig. 87, ill. in b/w, p. 255, as Agony.Millard 1982
Millard, Charles W. "Arshile Gorky." The Hudson Review (New York) 35, no. 1 (Spring 1982), discussed, p. 111, as Agony.Reiff 1982
Reiff, Robert. "Review." Review of Arshile Gorky: The Implications of Symbols, by Harry Rand. Art Journal (New York) 42, no. 1 (Spring 1982), discussed p. 77, as Agony.Jordan 1982a
Jordan, Jim M. "The Paintings of Arshile Gorky: New Discoveries, New Sources, and Chronology." In The Paintings of Arshile Gorky: A Critical Catalogue, by Jim M. Jordan and Robert Goldwater. New York and London: New York University Press, 1982, discussed pp. 90–91, as Agony.Jordan 1982b
Jordan, Jim M. "Catalogue Raisonné of Paintings." In The Paintings of Arshile Gorky: A Critical Catalogue, by Jim M. Jordan and Robert Goldwater. New York and London: New York University Press, 1982, no. 323, pl. 10, ill. in color, p. 114; ill. in b/w (repr. 90 degrees counterclockwise), pp. 494–96, as Agony.Donnell-Kotrozo 1983
Donnell-Kotrozo, Carol. [no title]. Review of Arshile Gorky: The Implications of Symbols, by Harry Rand. Journal of Aesthetics and Art Criticism (Hoboken, NJ) 41 (June 1983), discussed p. 462, as Agony.Nercessian 1983
Nercessian, Nora N. "The Defeat of Arshile Gorky." Armenian Review (Watertown, MA) 36, no. 1 (Spring 1983), discussed p. 91, as Agony.Seitz 1983
Seitz, William C. Abstract Expressionist Painting in America. Cambridge, MA and London: Harvard University Press for the National Gallery of Art, 1983, fig. 88a, ill. in color, as Agony.Baigell 1984
Baigell, Matthew. A Concise History of American Painting and Sculpture. New York: Harper & Row, 1984, no. 303, ill. in b/w, as Agony.Lader 1985
Lader, Melvin P. Arshile Gorky. New York: Abbeville Press, 1985. Monograph, fig. 104, ill. in color, p. 103, as Agony.Kuspit 1987b
Kuspit, Donald. "Arshile Gorky: Images in Support of the Invented Self." In Abstract Expressionism: The Critical Developments. New York: Harry N. Abrams, Inc., 1987. Exhibition catalogue, discussed p. 62, as Agony.Corrin 1990
Corrin, Lisa. "Toward Armenia: Notes of a Journey." In Arshile Gorky: 1904–1948. London: Whitechapel Art Gallery, 1990. Exhibition catalogue, fig. 3, ill. in b/w, p. 180, as Agony.Hughes 1990
Hughes, Robert. "Art: The Triumph of Achilles the Bitter." Time (New York) 117, no. 19 (May 11, 1981). In Nothing If Not Critical: Selected Essays on Art and Artists. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1990, discussed p. 223, as Agony.Anfam 1990a
Anfam, David. Abstract Expressionism. New York: Thames & Hudson, 1990, fig. 87, ill. in b/w, p. 119, as Agony.Spender 1990a
Spender, Matthew. "Origines et développement de l'oeuvre dessiné de Arshile Gorky / Quellen und Entwicklung von Arshile Gorkys zeichnerischem Werk." In Arshile Gorky: Œuvres sur Papier, 1929–1947 / Arbeiten auf Papier, 1929–1947, Erika Billeter, ed. Lausanne: Musée cantonal des Beaux-Arts, 1990. Exhibition catalogue, fig. 21, ill. in b/w, p. 39, as Agony.Anfam 1990c
Anfam, David. "Convulsive Images." Art International (Paris) 11 (Summer 1990), discussed pp. 100–101, as Agony.Rand 1991
Rand, Harry. Arshile Gorky: The Implication of Symbols. Rev. ed. Berkeley and Los Angeles: University of California Press, 1991. Monograph, fig. 12–1, ill. in b/w, p. 202, as "Agony I".Franc 1992
Franc, Helen M. An Invitation to See: 150 Works from the Museum of Modern Art. New York: Museum of Modern Art, 1992, ill. in color, p. 129, as Agony.Lader 1992
Lader, Melvin P. "Arshile Gorky: A Modern Artist in the Academic Tradition / Arshile Gorky: Un Artista Moderno Nella Tradizione Accademica." In Arshile Gorky: Works on Paper / Opere su Carta. Rome: Edizioni Carte Segrete, 1992. Exhibition catalogue, fig. 13, ill. in b/w, p. 33, as Agony.Franklin et al 1993
Franklin, Margery B., Robert C. Becklen, and Charlotte L. Doyle. "The Influence of Titles on How Paintings Are Seen." Leonardo (Cambridge, MA) 26, no. 2 (1993), fig. 2, ill. in b/w, p. 104, as Agony.Kramer 1995
Kramer, Hilton. "Tragedy of Life and Art." Art & Antiques (New York) 18, no. 9 (October 1995), discussed p. 116, as Agony.Weil 1995
Weil, Rex. "Arshile Gorky." Artnews (New York) 94 (September 1995), discussed p. 147, as Agony.Akiskal and Akiskal 1996
Akiskal, Kareen K., and Hagop S. Akiskal. "Abstract Expressionism as Psychobiography: The Life and Suicide of Arshile Gorky." In Depression and the Spiritual in Modern Art: Homage to Miró, Schildkraut, Joseph J. and Aurora Otero, eds. Chichester (U.K.) and New York: John Wiley, 1996, fig. 19–9, ill. in b/w, p. 235, as Agony.Balakian 1996
Balakian, Peter. "Arshile Gorky and the Armenian Genocide." Art in America (New York) 84 (February 1996), discussed p. 59, as Agony.Matossian 1998b
Matossian, Nouritza. Black Angel: The Life of Arshile Gorky. London: Chatto & Windus, 1998, color pl. 16, ill., as Agony.Herrera 2003
Herrera, Hayden. Arshile Gorky: His Life and Work. New York: Farrar, Straus, and Giroux, 2003, fig. 175, ill. in color, as Agony.Beredjiklian 2007
Beredjiklian, Alexandre. Arshile Gorky: sept thèmes majeurs. Suresnes, France: Alphamédian & Johanet; Lisbon: Fondation Calouste Gulbenkian, 2007. Monograph, discussed pp. 55, 63, as "Agonie".Cooksey 2009
Cooksey, Chelsea L. "Arshile Gorky: The Abstraction of Symbol, Figure, and Form." M.A. Thesis, Purchase College, State University of New York, 2009, fig. 64, ill. in color, p. 87, as "Agony I".Cotter 2009
Cotter, Holland. "From Mimic to Master of Invention." New York Times, October 23, 2009, ill. in color, p. C27, as Agony.Mattison 2009
Matttison, Robert S. Arshile Gorky: Works and Writings. Barcelona: Ediciones Polígrafica, 2009. Monograph, ill. in color, p. 123, as Agony.Wilkin 2009
Wilkin, Karen. "Gorky in Philadelphia." The New Criterion (New York) 28 (December 2009).Theriault 2009a
Theriault, Kim S. Rethinking Arshile Gorky. University Park, PA: Pennsylvania State University Press, 2009. Monograph, pl. 25, ill. in color; ill. in b/w (detail), p. 194, as Agony.Alberro 2010
Alberro, Alexander. "The Apprenticeship of Arshile Gorky: On Arshile Gorky at the Philadelphia Museum of Art." Texte zur Kunst (Cologne) 77 (March 2010), discussed pp. 149, 212, as "The Agony".Gale 2010
Gale, Matthew. Arshile Gorky: Enigma and Nostalgia. London: Tate Publishing, 2010. Exhibition catalogue (2009–10 Philadelphia), no. 1, ill. in color, p. 6, as Agony.Spender 2010
Spender, Matthew. Una storia armena Vita di Arshile Gorky. Florence: Barbès Editore, 2010, ill. in b/w, p. 360; p. 428, as Agony.Weston 2010
Weston, Neville. "Arshile Gorky: A Retrospective." Craft Arts International (Neutral Bay Junction, N.S.W.) 79 (2010), ill. in color (detail), p. 84, as Agony.Sarkissian 2016
Sarkissian, Nouneh. "Arshile Gorky: Fruition through Complexity." KCW Today (London), December 27, 2016, discussed, as Agony.Warren and Difilippantonio 2023
Warren, Beth Gates, and Marie Difilippantonio. Julien Levy: The Man, His Gallery, His Legacy. New York: Jean and Julien Levy Foundation for the Arts, 2023, fig. 127.4, ill. in color, p. 2061, as Agony.Notes
Commentary
The painting's overall composition is closely referenced in several known drawings (see related work).
Gorky titled the painting Agony for his 1948 exhibition at Julien Levy Gallery.1 According to Julien Levy (1906–1981), by this point, in part due to André Breton's (1896–1966) departure from New York in December 1945, Gorky's process for arriving at titles had evolved from its earlier basis in collaborative plays of free association (see commentary for P287), to an increasingly succinct "vocabulary" that was "more manifest and less a process of discovery."2
In 1966, Alfred H. Barr Jr. (1902–1981), the founding director of the Museum of Modern Art (1929–1943), recounted having selected the painting for the museum's collection before Gorky's death in July 1948. Barr likely first encountered the work at the Julien Levy Gallery exhibition earlier that year, however, according to Barr, Levy, who represented Gorky at the time, refused to part with the painting until 1950.3 In a 1966 letter, Barr admitted that he "personally felt [this] was perhaps [Gorky's] best painting."4
1. Julien Levy Gallery, New York, Arshile Gorky, February 29–March 20, 1948. No catalogue. The works that appeared in the exhibition are known from a price list on file in the Julien Levy papers at the Philadelphia Museum of Art Archives.
2. Julien Levy, Arshile Gorky (New York: Harry N. Abrams Inc., 1966), 36.
3. Letter from Alfred H. Barr Jr. to Karlen Mooradian, March 30, 1966, AGF Archives.
4. Ibid.
Related Work
loading
