Arshile Gorky
Nighttime, Enigma and Nostalgia

Artist Arshile Gorky (American, born in Khorkom, Van Province, Ottoman Empire (present-day Turkey), c.1904–1948)American, born in Khorkom, Van Province, Ottoman Empire (present-day Turkey), c.1904–1948

CultureAmerican

Titles

Nighttime, Enigma and Nostalgia

Datec. 1933–1934

Made inNew York, New York, United States

MediumOil on canvas mounted onto panel

Dimensions36 × 47 7/8 in. (91.4 × 121.6 cm)

Credit LineMuseum purchase funded by the Caroline Wiess Law Accessions Endowment Fund

Object number2005.1157

Current Location

The Nancy and Rich Kinder Building

Gallery 203

Exposé

Explore Further

Department

American Art

Object Type

PAINTING

DescriptionBetween 1930 and 1934, Arshile Gorky created
numerous drawings that he titled Nighttime,
Enigma and Nostalgia, borrowing motifs from
Giorgio de Chirico, Old Master paintings, and
anatomy studies, which he filtered through a
Surrealist sensibility. As the series progressed,
he developed this painting, which he reworked
extensively until he became satisfied with its
somber evocation of a still-life arrangement.
In 1941, when asked to describe the subject
of this series, Gorky replied, “Wounded birds,
poverty, and one whole week of rain.”
ProvenanceThe artist; Mr. and Mrs. M. Martin Janis, 1934; [Martha Jackson Gallery, c. 1955]; Estate of Arshile Gorky; Private collection; purchased by MFAH, 2005,
Exhibition History"Abstract and Surrealist Art in U.S.," Cincinnati Museum; Denver Art Museum; Seattle Art Museum; Santa Barbara Museum, California, 1944.

"Expressionism in American Painting," Albright Gallery, Buffalo, 1952.

"Gorky: Middle Period," Martha Jackson Gallery, New York, 1954.

"Gorky Paintings and Drawings," Tate Museum, London; Palais des Beax-Arts, Brussels; Museum Boymans-van Beuningen, Rotterdam, Netherlands, 1965.

"Murals Without Walls: Relating to Gorky's Newark Project," The Newark Museum, New Jersey, November 15, 1978–March 11, 1979.

"Murals Without Walls: Arshille Gorky's Aviation Murals Rediscovered," The American Federation of Arts, New York, July 1979–October 1980.

"Arshille Gorky 1904-1948, A Retrospective," The Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, New York, April 24–July 19,1981.

"Arshile Gorky, 1904-1948," Sala de Exposiciones de la Fundación Caja Pensiones, Madrid, October 17–December 23, 1989; The Whitechapel Art Gallery, London, January 19–March 25, 1990.

"Arshille Gorky: Paintings and Drawings 1929-1942," Gagosian Gallery, New York, October 27, 1998–January 9, 1999.

"Arshile Gorky: A Retrospective," Philadelphia Museum of Art, October 20, 2009–January 10, 2010; Tate Modern, London, February 10–May 3, 2010; The Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles, June 6–September 20, 2010.

"American Made: 250 Years of American Art at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston," The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, July 7, 2012–January 2, 2013.

"The Abstract Impulse: Selections from the Modern and Contemporary Collections," The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, February 3–May 5, 2013.
Inscriptions, Signatures and Marks

Signed in the image, lower right quadrant in a box: "A. Gorky"

Twelve printed back label from exhibitions - See acc. file for copies and Exhibition History in TMS

980 Madison Avenue / New York NY 10021 / 2132 744 2313 tel / Gagosian Gallery / Arshile Gorky / " Nighttime, Enigma and Nostalgia", c. 1933-34 / Oil on canvas / 36 x 48 inches / Catalogue #25 / " Arshile Gorky: Paintings and Drawings 1929-1942" / October 27, 1998-January 9, 1999

The Arts Council of Great Britain / [illegible] / Exhibition Arshile Gorky 1904-1948 / Cat. no. 25 / Artist Arshile Gorky / Title Nighttime, enigma and nostalgia, / c. 1934 / Owner Martha Jackson Gallery, New York

SIT SIT TRANSPORTES INTERNACIONALES / GRAN VIA[illegible] MADRID / Autor ASHILE GORKY / Titulo "NIGHTTIME ENIGME NOSTALGIA" 1933-34 / Exposion "GORKY" / Prestador COSMOTRANS - Zurich

A & S FINE ARTS, INC / (212) 776-6350 / #2

PHILADELPHIA MUSEUM OF ART / Arshile Gorky: A Retrospective / Arshile Gorky / "Nighttime, Enigma, and Nostalgia", 1933-1934 / Oil on canvas, 36 x 48 in. / Lender: The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston / Gorky-54

[torn label] 1975/6 / artist Arshile Gorky / title Nighttime Enigma and Nostalgia / owner Etablissement Lesanfond of Vaduz, Liechtenstein

Museum Boymans van Beuningen / Exhibition ARSHILE GORKY 1965 / Collection Martha Jackson Gallery, New York / Artist Arshile Gorky / Nighttime, enigma and nostalgia, 1934

[torn slip of paper with inscriptions in ink: S19 and marker: 2(circled and upside down)]

P. 31 SPECIAL PACKING / NO CORNERS / AFA #3

3 / Gorky title: / NIGHTTIME, ENIGMA AND / NOSTALGIA

exhibition title: exhibition no: / MURALS WITHOUT WALLS / Arshile Gorky's Aviation Murals Rediscovered 78-16 / July 1979 - October 1980 / THE AMERICAN FEDERATION OF ARTS. 41 East 65th Street, New York 10021

THE SOLOMON R. GUGGENHEIM MUSEUM / Loan = 941,80 Catalog = 43 / Exhibition GORKY X / Lender Private Collection

Cataloguing data may change with further research.

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