Untitled

Arshile Gorky's reputation rests on his 1940s semi-abstract compositions inspired from nature, which had a major influence on early Abstract Expressionists such as Willem de Kooning. This drawing belongs to Gorky's long formative period, from the 1920s to the late 1930s, when he looked closely at the European avant-garde, notably the work of Picasso, echoed here in the woman's schematic profile. During this period Gorky made a number of portraits of family and friends. The different style of the two profiles depicted on either side of this sheet reflects Gorky's experimental approach.