Student Artwork Guide — Portrait (Head)

Name Class Date

Arshile Gorky, Portrait (Head) (1938). Public domain. See this canvas under a moving light: the drawing, the true colour under the varnish, the bare pigment

The facts

Artist: Arshile Gorky originaluniqueart.com/en/artists/arshile-gorky/
Artist’s dates: 1904 – 1948
Painted: 1938
Original size: 78 x 62 cm
Movement: Abstract Expressionism Large canvases where the act of painting itself — the drip, the sweep — is the subject.

Copyright This work is in the public domain. Arshile Gorky died in 1948; copyright lasts 70 years after the artist’s death, so it ended in 2018.

Portrait (Head) — Arshile Gorky

How big is it?

The original measures 78 × 62 cm (height × width), drawn here beside an adult of average height.

When was this painted?

1900
1910
1920
1930
1940

Row above: the years. Row below: how old the artist was at the start and at the end of each span — 0 at birth, 44 at death.

Painted when the artist was 34. The artist lived to 44. 43 of the 73 dated works by this artist in our catalogue came earlier.

Shaded: the lifetime of Arshile Gorky (1904–1948) ▲ this work, 1938 every dated painting, decade by decade

First works: up to 1932 Main working years: 1932–1944 Late works: from 1944

Those three bands split the works this catalogue has a date for into a first quarter, a middle half and a last quarter. They are not the artist’s complete output: a thin stretch may be a gap in the record rather than a quiet spell. The same years with the artist’s life laid along them

Compare with

The Liver is the Cock's Comb, 1944 originaluniqueart.com/en/art/arshile-gorky-the-liver-is-the-cock-s-comb-8XXP3X-en/
One Year the Milkweed, 1944 originaluniqueart.com/en/art/arshile-gorky-one-year-the-milkweed-8XXP3V-en/
The Artist with His Mother, 1936 originaluniqueart.com/en/art/arshile-gorky-the-artist-with-his-mother-8XXP54-en/

Pick one work above: name two things it shares with this one, and one thing that's different.

More works to set beside this one: originaluniqueart.com/en/art/similar/arshile-gorky-portrait-head-8XXP4D-en/

Colours

Measured from the image

Main colour

Putty #e2ddca

Catalogued palette

#E2DDCA
#39312A
#D9CF90
#8B7157

These colours inside the artist’s whole palette Find other paintings by colour

Palette: Neutrals The dominant colour family in the image.
Main colour name: Putty
Intensity: Vivid How saturated and varied the colours are, from a single toned-down hue to many bright ones.
Contrast: Statement How much the colours differ in lightness and saturation across the picture.
Harmony: Strong Color Unity How well the colours work together, from clashing to fully unified.
Brightness: Brilliant How light or dark the picture reads overall, from deep shadow to bright highlight.
Saturation: Balanced Soft How pure and strong the colours are, from near-grey to fully vivid.

Where in the world is this painting looked at?

under 1%
1–3%
3–8%
8–20%
20% and over

This painting alone has too few recorded visitors to map, so the plate reads every work by Arshile Gorky over the last twelve months — 14 countries in all. Where these figures come from

The ten leading countries

1 China 35.0%
2 Brazil 16.7%
3 United Kingdom 11.7%
4 Argentina 6.7%
5 United States of America 6.7%
6 Italy 5.0%
7 Canada 3.3%
8 Germany 3.3%
9 Finland 3.3%
10 Colombia 1.7%
· 4 other countries 6.6%

Find the three darkest countries on the map. Is the museum that keeps this painting in any of them? Write down one reason people far away might look at it.

The 20 most looked-at works by Arshile Gorky

1 The Liver is the Cock's Comb, 1944 36.7%
2 Waterfall, 1943 27.6%
3 Battle at Sunset with the God of Maize (Composition No. 1), 1936 8.2%
4 One Year the Milkweed, 1944 4.1%
5 Diary of a Seducer 3.1%
6 Nude, 1946 2.0%
7 The Artist with His Mother, 1936 2.0%
8 Personnage (Composition No. 2), 1936 2.0%
9 Garden in Sochi, 1943 1.0%
10 Portrait of Ahko, 1937 1.0%
11 Portrait of a Young Man, 1927 1.0%
12 Bound in Sleep (Composition No. 6), 1925 1.0%
13 Soft Night, 1947 1.0%
14 The Raven (Composition No. 3), 1931 1.0%
15 Still Life with Skull, 1927 1.0%
16 Waterfall, 1943 1.0%
17 Portrait (Head), 1938 this painting 1.0%
18 The Betrothal II, 1947 1.0%
19 Untitled, 1944 1.0%
20 Untitled (Abstract Landscape), 1934 1.0%

Together these works take 97.7% of all the attention this artist's paintings received over the last twelve months. The catalogue holds 86 works by this artist, of which 22 were looked at at least once. This painting ranks 17 of them, with 1.0% of that attention. The same counts, month by month

Bars measure attention, not quality. Pick the work at the top and this one: name one thing that might make a painting famous beyond how well it is painted.

Artist

Arshile Gorky

Born in Khorgam, Turkey

early life and influences

arshile gorky, born vostanik manoug adoian, was a turkish-born armenian-american painter who left an indelible mark on the art world. born on april 15, 1904, in khorgom, van, ottoman empire (now turkey), gorky's life was marked by turmoil and displacement, which would later influence his artistic style.

the formative years

gorky's family fled to russian-controlled territory during the armenian genocide in 1915. this pivotal event shaped his worldview and informed his future artistic expressions. in 1920, at the age of 16, gorky reunited with his father in america but struggled to form a close bond.

artistic evolution

landscape in the manner of cézanne (1927) and landscape, staten island (1927–1928) exemplify gorky's early experimentation with cubism and post-impressionism.

his later works, such as nighttime, enigma, nostalgia (1930–1934), showcase a shift towards surrealism, characterized by complex, abstract forms.

notable works and collaborations

key artworks:

the artist and his mother (ca. 1926–1936), a poignant portrait inspired by a childhood photograph, showcases gorky's innovative style.

portrait of master bill, initially believed to be a portrait of willem de kooning, is now recognized as a depiction of a swedish carpenter who worked for gorky.

collaborations and influences:

gorky's association with the works progress administration federal art project (1933) brought him alongside notable artists like alice neel, lee krasner, jackson pollock, and mark rothko.

his work was also influenced by paul cézanne, as seen in his landscape series.

legacy and museum collections

gorky's impact on abstract expressionism is undeniable. his works can be found in various museums, including the national gallery of art, washington, d.c., and are a testament to his enduring influence.

explore gorky's artwork and other influential artists at AllPaintingsStore.

delve into the world of art history with AllPaintingsStore's comprehensive timeline: wahoo art timeline.

conclusion

arshile gorky's life, marked by displacement and turmoil, translated into a body of work that would redefine the landscape of abstract expressionism. his legacy continues to inspire artists and art enthusiasts alike, a testament to the transformative power of art. view gorky's artworks on AllPaintingsStore learn more about arshile gorky on wikipedia

Where to read more

The artist Arshile Gorky originaluniqueart.com/en/artists/arshile-gorky/
Similar works More works to compare originaluniqueart.com/en/art/similar/arshile-gorky-portrait-head-8XXP4D-en/

Find this online

QR code linking to the download page for Portrait (Head)

originaluniqueart.com/en/art/download/arshile-gorky-portrait-head-8XXP4D-en/

Cite this artwork

MLA: Gorky, Arshile. Portrait (Head). 1938, https://originaluniqueart.com/en/art/arshile-gorky-portrait-head-8XXP4D-en/
APA: Gorky, Arshile (1938). Portrait (Head) [Painting]. https://originaluniqueart.com/en/art/arshile-gorky-portrait-head-8XXP4D-en/
Chicago: Arshile Gorky. Portrait (Head). 1938. https://originaluniqueart.com/en/art/arshile-gorky-portrait-head-8XXP4D-en/
Harvard: Gorky, Arshile (1938) Portrait (Head). Available at: https://originaluniqueart.com/en/art/arshile-gorky-portrait-head-8XXP4D-en/

Portrait (Head) — Arshile Gorky

Look closely

Answer in your own words. There are no wrong answers here — only answers you can explain.

What catches your eye first, and why?
Which colours or shapes create the mood — and what is that mood?
Our catalogue files this work under: portraits, body. Do you agree? What would you add, or take away?
Look back at The Liver is the Cock's Comb (1944), earlier in this guide. Name two things it shares with this work, and one that is different.
Abstract Expressionism: Large canvases where the act of painting itself — the drip, the sweep — is the subject. Where can you see that in this work?

Your response

Write a short paragraph about this artwork. Use the facts from the earlier parts of this guide, and your answers above.

Questions & Answers

In what year was "Portrait (Head)" by Arshile Gorky created?

"Portrait (Head)" by Arshile Gorky was created in 1938.

What saturation and intensity does "Portrait (Head)" by Arshile Gorky show?

The colors of "Portrait (Head)" by Arshile Gorky show a balanced soft saturation with a vivid intensity.

What is the format of "Portrait (Head)"?

The format of "Portrait (Head)" is portrait. This is useful when planning where a reproduction will be placed.