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Dark Green Painting

c. 1948
Arshile Gorky (American, born Van Province, Ottoman Empire (present-day Turkey), c. 1904–1948)
The biomorphic forms of this somber painting suggest hidden messages that resist literal decoding. The shapes seem to be freely improvised, an impression that was often conveyed by American abstract art indebted to Surrealism. However, in fact, the composition is based on a gridded preparatory drawing that meticulously plots the design.

Object Details

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