Untitled (Standing Nude with Seated Nude)

Untitled (Standing Nude with Seated Nude) is a foundational drawing by Arshile Gorky, executed in pencil on paper around 1930. This early work provides critical insight into the artist’s intellectual and technical development during a period characterized by intense study of European modernism. Classified simply as a drawing, this piece exemplifies Gorky’s meticulous technical control as he explored figural studies, a foundational element of his practice in the late 1920s and early 1930s.

The subject matter focuses on two figures arranged in an interior setting: a standing nude viewed from the back and a seated nude. The composition demonstrates a careful, academic arrangement, yet the forms themselves reflect Gorky’s evolving modernist interests. Gorky utilized precise, contoured lines to define the anatomical forms, tempering traditional academic rendering with the fragmented spatial concerns introduced by early Cubism, particularly the work of Pablo Picasso. This commitment to structure helped solidify his unique position among American artists, who were simultaneously grappling with the assimilation of European avant-garde movements during the period c. 1930–35. The drawing technique emphasizes volume and mass through subtle shading and skillful cross-hatching, demonstrating the artist’s dedicated rehearsal of form before his eventual move toward pure abstraction.

As an important surviving example of Gorky’s figural output, this study serves as a crucial link between his early formal training and the lyrical Surrealism that would define his later career. The work is widely recognized for its precision and represents a key phase in the developing American modern art movement. Today, the original drawing, Untitled (Standing Nude with Seated Nude), is housed within the permanent collection of the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA), ensuring its continued availability for study and display. High-quality prints of this significant early Gorky drawing are often sought after by collectors and researchers interested in the technical and conceptual evolution of drawing in American modernism.