Arshile Gorky Catalogue Raisonné

Catalogue Entry

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Photo: © Courtesy the Whitney Museum of American Art, New York

P339

Betrothal II

1947

Oil on canvas

50 3/4 x 38 in. (128.9 x 96.5 cm)

Front, lower left: A Gorky / 47 / [paraph]
Reverse, in pencil, upper stretcher bar [likely in artist's hand]: TOP; BETROTHAL II

Whitney Museum of American Art, New York.
Purchase (50.3)

Provenance

The artist

Julien Levy Gallery, New York (1947)

Julien Levy, Bridgewater, Connecticut (1949)

[Samuel Kootz Gallery, New York (March 21, 1950)]

Whitney Museum of American Art, New York (April 6, 1950)

Exhibitions

1948b New York

Julien Levy Gallery, New York, Arshile Gorky, February 29–March 20, 1948, no. 2, as Betrothal II.

1950a New York

Kootz Gallery, New York, Selected Paintings by the Late Arshile Gorky, March 28–April 24, 1950. (Exhibition brochure: Gottlieb 1950), ill. in b/w, as "The Betrothal #2".

1951a New York

Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, Arshile Gorky Memorial Exhibition, January 5–February 18, 1951, no. 47, ill. in color, p. 4; p. 47, as "The Betrothal II". Traveled to: Walker Art Center, Minneapolis, March 4–April 22, 1951; San Francisco Museum of Art, California, May 9–July 9, 1951.

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. 4, as "The Betrothal II".

1952 Princeton

Princeton University Art Museum, New Jersey, Arshile Gorky: A Loan Exhibition of Paintings and Drawings, October 6–26, 1952, no. 18, as "The Betrothal II".

1955a New York

Kootz Gallery, New York, A Decade Of Modern Painting And Sculpture: Tenth Anniversary Festival, April 11–May 7, 1955.

1957f New York

Sidney Janis Gallery, New York, 33 Paintings by Arshile Gorky, December 2–28, 1957. (Exhibition catalogue: Sidney Janis Gallery 1957), no. 32, ill. in b/w, as "The Betrothal II".

1958 Brussels

Bureau International des Expositions, International Palace of Fine Arts, Brussels, 1958 Brussels World's Fair (Expo 58): United States Pavilion, April 17–October 19, 1958.

1960a Minneapolis

Walker Art Center, Minneapolis, 60 American Painters, 1960: Abstract Expressionist Painting of the Fifties, April 3–May 8, 1960, no. 23, ill. in b/w, p. 24, as "The Betrothal II".

1961c New York

New School Art Center, New York, The Creative Process, May 16–June 10, 1961, no. 6, as "The Betrothal II".

1962 Venice

XXXI Biennale di Venezia: Internazionale d'Arte, U.S. Pavillion, Venice, Italy, Arshile Gorky, June 16–October 7, 1962, no. 28, p. 114, as "Il fidanzamento II".

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. 106, ill. in b/w, p. 43; p. 56, as "The Betrothal II". Traveled to: Washington Gallery of Modern Art, D.C., March 12–April 14, 1963.

1964b New York

Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, Between the Fairs: 25 Years of American Art, 1939–1964, June 24–September 23, 1964, no. 40, ill. in color, p. 24, as "The Betrothal II".

1968 CE–MoMA

Museum of Modern Art, New York, Department of Circulating Exhibitions (organizer), Dada, Surrealism, and Their Heritage, 1968. (Exhibition catalogue: Rubin 1967), no. 140, ill. in b/w, fig. 272, p. 175, as "The Betrothal II". Traveled to: Museum of Modern Art, New York, March 27–June 9, 1968; Los Angeles County Museum of Art, July 16–September 8, 1968; Art Institute of Chicago, October 19–December 8, 1968.

1969–70a New York

Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, New York Painting and Sculpture: 1940–1970, October 18, 1969–February 8, 1970. (Exhibition catalogue: Geldzahler 1969), no. 95, as "The Betrothal, II".

1974b New York

Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, The Twentieth Century: 35 American Artists, An Exhibition of Works from the Permanent Collection, July 1–September 29, 1974, as "The Betrothal, II".

1975c New York

Whitney Museum of American Art, Downtown Branch, New York, Subjects of the Artists: New York Painting 1941–1947, April 22–May 28, 1975, as Betrothal II.

1976 Milwaukee

Milwaukee Art Center, From Foreign Shores: Three Centuries of Art by Foreign Born American Masters, October 15–November 28, 1976, no. 54, ill. in b/w, p. 121, as "The Betrothal II".

1978 Ithaca

Herbert F. Johnson Museum of Art, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York (organized in collaboration with the Whitney Museum of American Art, New York), Abstract Expressionism: The Formative Years, March 30–May 14, 1978. (Exhibition catalogue: Hobbs and Levin 1978); (Exhibition catalogue: Levin 1978a); (Exhibition catalogue: Levin 1978b), as "The Betrothal II". Traveled to: Seibu Museum of Art, Tokyo, June 17–July 12, 1978; Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, October 5–December 3, 1978.

1978–79a New York

Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, Introduction to 20th Century American Art, October 10, 1978–September 23, 1979, ill. in b/w, as "The Betrothal II".

1981–82 New York

Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, New York, Arshile Gorky 1904–1948: A Retrospective, April 24–July 19, 1981, no. 198, ill. in b/w, p. 221, as "The Betrothal II". Traveled to: Dallas Museum of Fine Arts, September 12–November 6, 1981; Los Angeles County Museum of Art, December 3, 1981–February 28, 1982.

1989–90 Madrid

Sala de Exposiciones de la Fundación Caja de Pensiones, Madrid, Arshile Gorky, 1904–1948, October 17–December 23, 1989, no. 47, ill. in color, p. 127, as "The Betrothal II". Traveled to: Whitechapel Art Gallery, London, January 19–March 25, 1990.

1992 New York

Whitney Museum of American Art at Equitable Center, New York, American Masters: Six Artists from the Permanent Collection of the Whitney Museum of American Art, January 10–March 18, 1992, as "The Betrothal II". Traveled to: Whitney Museum of American Art at Champion, Stamford, Connecticut, April 17–June 17, 1992.

1993–94 New York

Whitney Museum of Art, New York, Collection in Context: Gorky's Betrothals, October 6, 1993–January 9, 1994, ill. in color, as "The Betrothal II". Traveled to: Yale University Art Gallery, New Haven, Connecticut, February 1–April 10, 1994; Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles, April 24–June 19, 1994.

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. 18, ill. in color, p. 125, as "The Betrothal II". 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.

2009–10 Philadelphia

Philadelphia Museum of Art, Arshile Gorky: A Retrospective, October 15, 2009–January 10, 2010. (Exhibition catalogue: Taylor 2009a), pl. 174, ill. in color, p. 337; p. 392, as "The Betrothal II". 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).

2018–19 Rome

Brasini del Vittoriano, Rome, Pollock e la Scuola di New York, October 10, 2018–February 24, 2019, ill. in color, p. 93, as "The Betrothal, II (Il fidanzamento, II)".

Literature

Hunter 1948a

Hunter, Sam. "Modernism by Four: Abstraction, Surrealism in Current Shows." New York Times, February 29, 1948, discussed, sec. 2, p. 8, as Betrothal II.

Greenberg 1948b

Greenberg, Clement. "Art." The Nation (New York) 166 (March 20, 1948), discussed, p. 332, as Betrothal II.

Breuning 1950

M.B. [Margaret Breuning]. "Fifty-Seventh Street in Review: A Memorial for Arshile Gorky." Art Digest (New York) 24, no. 13 (April 1, 1950), ill. in b/w, p. 19, as "The Betrothal".

Coates 1951

Coates, Robert M. "The Art Galleries." The New Yorker 26, no. 48 (January 20, 1951), discussed, p. 62, as "The Betrothal II".

de Kooning 1951

de Kooning, Elaine. "Gorky: Painter of his Own Legend." Artnews (New York) 49, no. 9 (January 1951), ill. in color, p. 38, as "The Betrothal II".

Hess 1951

Hess, Thomas B. Abstract Painting: Background and American Phase. New York: Viking Press, 1951, ill. in b/w (details), front and back endpapers; pl. a, ill. in color, p. 5, as "The Betrothal II".

Loftus 1952

Loftus, John. "Arshile Gorky: A Monograph." M.A. Thesis, Columbia University, New York, 1952, pl. XXXVIII, ill. in b/w, as Betrothal II.

Reinhardt 1952

Reinhardt, Ad. "Our Favorites: Homage to the New York Art Critics Circle." Artnews (New York) 51, no. 1 (March 1952), p. 29, as Betrothal II.

Seitz 1952

Seitz, William C. "A Gorky Exhibit." The Daily Princetonian (Princeton, NJ), October 14, 1952, discussed, p. 2, as "The Betrothal II".

Coates 1953

Coates, Robert M. "The Art Galleries." The New Yorker 29 (February 28, 1953), discussed, p. 83, as "The Betrothal II".

Mooradian 1955

Mooradian, Karlen. "Arshile Gorky." Armenian Review (Watertown, MA) 8, no. 2 (Summer 1955), discussed, p. 57, as "The Betrothal II".

Devree 1955a

Devree, Howard. "About Art and Artists." New York Times, April 12, 1955, discussed, p. 24, as "The Betrothal".

Arti Visive 1957

"Special issue on Gorky in Italian and English with text by Toti Scialoja and excerpts from Schwabacher 1957." Arti Visive 6–7 (Summer 1957), no. 14, ill. in b/w, as "The Betrothal II".

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 "The Betrothal II".

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. V, ill. in color, as "The Betrothal, II".

Adlow 1958

Adlow, Dorothy. Twentieth Century Highlights of American Painting. Washington, D.C.: United States Information Agency, 1958, no. 26, ill. in color, p. 60; discussed pp. 61, 90, as "Betrothal, II".

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 "The Betrothal II".

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 "Betrothal," in "Gallery View, Gorky Exhibition, December 1957".

Goldwater 1960

Goldwater, Robert. "Reflections on the New York School." Quadrum (Brussels) 8 (1960), ill. in color, p. 19, as "The Betrothal II".

Whitney Museum of American Art 1960

Whitney Museum of American Art. Whitney Museum of American Art: Catalogue of the Collection. New York: Whitney Museum of American Art, 1960, discussed, p. 278, as "The Betrothal II".

Barilli 1961

Barilli, Renato. "La Pittura di Arshile Gorky." La Biennale 43 (April–June 1961), ill. in b/w, p. 14, as "The Betrothal II".

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. 19, ill. in b/w, p. 297, as Betrothal II.

Rosenberg 1961

Rosenberg, Harold. "Arshile Gorky, His Art and His Influence." Portfolio & Artnews Annual (New York), no. 5 (1961), ill. in color, p. 112, as Betrothal II.

Boatto 1962

Boatto, Alberto. "L'itinerario di Gorky." Arte Oggi (Rome) 14 (June–December 1962), discussed, p. 15, as "Il fidanzamento II".

Kozloff 1962

Kozloff, Max. "New York Letter: Gorky." Art International (Paris) 6 (April 1962), discussed, p. 42, as Betrothal II.

Rosenberg 1962a

Rosenberg, Harold. Arshile Gorky: The Man, the Time, the Idea. New York: Horizon Press, 1962. Monograph, ill. in b/w, p. 111, as "The Betrothal II".

Ashton 1962b

Ashton, Dore. "Arshile Gorky peintre romantique." XXe siècle (Paris) 19 (June 1962), ill. in b/w, p. 79, as "The Betrothal II".

Alloway 1963

Alloway, Lawrence. "Gorky." Artforum (San Francisco) 1, no. 9 (March 1963), ill. in b/w, p. 29, as "The Betrothal II".

Dennison 1963

Dennison, George. "The Crisis Art of Arshile Gorky." Arts Magazine (New York) 37 (February 1963), ill. in b/w, p. 15, as "The Betrothal II".

Kramer 1963

Kramer, Hilton. "Art." The Nation (New York) 196 (January 12, 1963), discussed, p. 39, as one of the "two versions of The Betrothal".

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; ill. in b/w (detail), p. 36, as "The Betrothal II".

Sandler 1963

Sandler, Irving Hershel. "New York Letter." Quadrum (Brussels), no. 14 (1963), ill. in b/w, p. 116, as "The Betrothal II".

Levy 1966

Levy, Julien. Arshile Gorky. New York: Harry N. Abrams, Inc., 1966. Monograph, pl. 179, ill. in color, p. 203, as "The Betrothal II".

Rubin 1967

Rubin, William. Dada, Surrealism, and Their Heritage. New York: The Museum of Modern Art, 1967. Exhibition catalogue (1968 CE–MoMA), no. 140, ill. in b/w, p. 175, as "The Betrothal II".

Christensen 1968

Christensen, Erwin O. A Guide to Art Museums in the United States. New York: Dodd, Mead & Company, 1968, fig. 186, ill. in b/w, p. 84, as "The Betrothal".

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, p. 7, as "The Betrothal II".

Passeron 1968

Passeron, René. Histoire de la peinture surréaliste. Paris: Librairie Le Livre de Poche, 1968, discussed, p. 245, as "Les Fiançailles, II".

Rubin 1968

Rubin, William S. Dada and Surrealist Art. New York: Harry N. Abrams, Inc., 1968, fig. 415, ill. in b/w, p. 399, as "The Betrothal II".

Claman 1969

Claman, Julian. "Spot Check: Some Observations on the State of the Arts in America Today." Harper's Bazaar (New York) 102, no. 3087 (February 1969), ill. in b/w, p. 122D, as Betrothal II.

Geldzahler 1969

Geldzahler, Henry. New York Painting and Sculpture: 1940–1970. New York: E.P. Dutton, in association with the Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1969. Exhibition catalogue (1969–70a New York), no. 95, ill. in b/w, p. 161; p. 46, as "The Betrothal II".

Kramer 1969a

Kramer, Hilton. "30 Years of the New York School." New York Times Magazine (October 12, 1969), ill. in b/w, p. 119, as "The Betrothal II".

Sandler 1970

Sandler, Irving H. The Triumph of American Painting: A History of Abstract Expressionism. New York: Praeger Publishers, 1970, pl. II, ill. in color, p. 83, as "The Betrothal II".

Alloway 1974

Alloway, Lawrence. "Art." The Nation (New York) (September 7, 1974), discussed p. 190, as "The Betrothal, II".

Russell 1974

Russell, John. "Whitney Museum Taking Stock: But Summer Shows of 35 Artists Are Called Cryptic." New York Times, June 29, 1974, ill. in b/w, p. 25, as "The Betrothal II".

Calas 1975

Calas, Nicolas. "A Tough Nut to Crack." Artforum (New York) 13 (May 1975), ill. in b/w, p. 49, as "The Betrothal II".

Calas 1976

Calas, Nicolas. "Letter to the Editor." Arts Magazine (New York) 50, no. 10 (June 1976), discussed, p. 110, as Betrothal II.

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. 28.

Herrera 1976b

Herrera, Hayden. "The Sculptures of Arshile Gorky." Arts Magazine (New York) 50, no. 7 (March 1976), discussed, p. 90, as "The Betrothal II".

Hughes 1978

Hughes, Robert. "The Tribal Style: Ab Ex at the Whitney Museum." Time (New York) 112, no. 16 (October 16, 1978), ill. in color, p. 82, as "The Betrothal II".

Levin 1978b

Levin, Gail. "Arshile Gorky (1904–1948)." In Abstract Expressionism: The Formative Years. Ithaca, NY and London: Cornell University Press, 1978. Exhibition catalogue (1978 Ithaca), fig. 29, ill. in color, p. 43, as "The Betrothal, II".

Jordan 1981

Jordan, Jim M. "Gorky at the Guggenheim." Art Journal (New York) 41, no. 3 (Fall 1981), fig. 21, ill. in b/w, p. 265, as "The Betrothal II".

Larson 1981

Larson, Kay. "The Man Who Would Be Best." New York 14 (May 11, 1981), ill., p. 73, as "The Betrothal II".

Levin, K. 1981

Levin, Kim. "Arshile Gorky." Flash Art (October–November 1981), ill. in b/w, p. 52, as "The Betrothal, II".

Morgan 1981

Morgan, S. "Becoming Arshile Gorky." Artscribe (London), no. 31 (October 1981), ill. in b/w, p. 23, as "The Betrothal II".

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. 10–2, ill. in b/w, p. 149, as "The Betrothal II".

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. 58, as "The Betrothal II".

Ashton 1982

Ashton, Dore. American Art Since 1945. New York: Oxford University Press, 1982, no. 19, ill. in color, p. 41, as "The Betrothal II".

Millard 1982

Millard, Charles W. "Arshile Gorky." The Hudson Review (New York) 35, no. 1 (Spring 1982), discussed, p. 110, as "The Betrothal II".

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 "The Betrothal II".

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. 339, ill. in b/w, pp. 515–16, as "The Betrothal II".

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. 82, ill. in color, as "The Betrothal II".

Lader 1985

Lader, Melvin P. Arshile Gorky. New York: Abbeville Press, 1985. Monograph, fig. 103, ill. in color, p. 102; ill. in color, back cover, as "The Betrothal II".

Phillips 1988

Phillips, Lisa. Vital Signs: Organic Abstraction from the Permanent Collection. New York: Whitney Museum of American Art, 1988, ill. in b/w, p. 26, as "The Betrothal II".

Anfam 1990c

Anfam, David. "Convulsive Images." Art International (Paris) 11 (Summer 1990), discussed, p. 101, as "Betrothal".

Rand 1991

Rand, Harry. Arshile Gorky: The Implication of Symbols. Rev. ed. Berkeley and Los Angeles: University of California Press, 1991. Monograph, fig. 10–2, ill. in b/w, p. 171, as "The Betrothal II".

Kramer 1995

Kramer, Hilton. "Tragedy of Life and Art." Art & Antiques (New York) 18, no. 9 (October 1995), discussed p. 116, as "The Betrothal".

Sawin 1995

Sawin, Martica. Surrealism in Exile and the Beginning of the New York School. Cambridge, MA, and London: The MIT Press, 1995, discussed, p. 322, as Betrothal II.

Weil 1995

Weil, Rex. "Arshile Gorky." Artnews (New York) 94 (September 1995), discussed, p. 147, as one of "three versions of The Betrothal".

Ades 1997

Ades, Dawn. Surrealist Art: The Lindy and Edwin Bergman Collection at the Art Institute of Chicago. Margherita Andreotti, ed. Chicago and New York: Art Institute of Chicago and Thames and Hudson, 1997, discussed, p. 144, as "The Betrothal II".

Herrera 2003

Herrera, Hayden. Arshile Gorky: His Life and Work. New York: Farrar, Straus, and Giroux, 2003, fig. 170, ill. in color, as "The Betrothal II".

Herskovic 2003

Herskovic, Marika, ed. "'Goodbye My Loveds,' Homage to Arshile Gorky: The Spirit of Abstract Expressionism." In American Abstract Expressionism of the 1950s: An Illustrated Survey with Artists's Statements, Artwork and Biographies. New York and Franklin Lakes, NJ: New York School Press, 2003, ill. in color, p. 18, as "The Betrothal, II".

Beredjiklian 2007

Beredjiklian, Alexandre. Arshile Gorky: sept thèmes majeurs. Suresnes, France: Alphamédian & Johanet; Lisbon: Fondation Calouste Gulbenkian, 2007. Monograph, discussed, pp. 55, 63, as "Les Fiançailles II".

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. 42, ill. in color, p. 75, as "The Betrothal II".

Mattison 2009

Matttison, Robert S. Arshile Gorky: Works and Writings. Barcelona: Ediciones Polígrafica, 2009. Monograph, ill. in color, p. 137, as "The Betrothal I".

Gale 2010

Gale, Matthew. Arshile Gorky: Enigma and Nostalgia. London: Tate Publishing, 2010. Exhibition catalogue (2009–10 Philadelphia), no. 43, ill. in color, p. 81, as "The Betrothal II".

Murachanian 2010

Murachanian, Jean. "The Forging of an Artistic Identity: A Gorky Retrospective." Asbarez Newspaper (Los Angeles), July 2, 2010, ill. in color, as "Betrothal".

Weston 2010

Weston, Neville. "Arshile Gorky: A Retrospective." Craft Arts International (Neutral Bay Junction, N.S.W.) 79 (2010), ill. in color, p. 86, as "The Betrothal II".

Miller 2015

Miller, Dana, ed. Whitney Museum of American Art: Handbook of the Collection. New Haven and London: Yale University Press, 2015, ill. in color, p. 151, as "The Betrothal II".

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, ill. in color, volume four cover, as "The Betrothal, II".

Notes

The canvas was relined. The inscription on the reverse is known from a photograph provided by the Whitney Museum of American Art, New York.

Commentary

Gorky titled the painting Betrothal II in preparation for its 1948 showing at the Julien Levy Gallery in New York, which took place several months before his death in July of that year.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

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.

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