Do you think you may own a painting by Arshile Gorky? We authenticate, appraise and issue Certificates of Authenticity (COA) for all paintings by Arshile Gorky. Please contact us for more information.

Gorky was an Armenian-American artist, influential in the Abstract Expressionist movement. Gorky was born in Khorgom, Armenia. While it is believed Gorky was born in 1904, the exact date of his birth is unknown. Gorky left home in 1915 during a time of genocide and political unrest in Armenia. While his father left for America, Gorky and his sisters fled to Russia.

In 1920 Gorky immigrated to America to reunite with his father. Unfortunately their relationship was uneasy and Gorky decided to set-up a new life independently. Gorky often told people he was of Russian heritage and a relation of Maxim Gorky.

A couple of years after moving to America, Gorky started enrolled at the New School of Design in Boston, studying both impressionism and post-impressionism. Gorky eventually moved to New York, where he began teaching at the Grand Central School of Art. Over time, Gorky moved away from impressionism and experimented with both cubism and surrealism.

While Gorky befriended many artists in New York, he led a troubled personal life. A bout with cancer, a broken neck, a paralyzed arm, and a failed marriage were a few of the unfortunate circumstances that plagued Gorky’s life. At the age of forty-four Gorky could not bare to go through any more pain, and took his own life by hanging himself in Sherman, Connecticut.

While Gorky’s life ended early, his legacy has continued. Gorky’s paintings are now in almost every major American art collection, both in the United States and internationally. Do you think you own a painting by Arshile Gorky? Contact us. We are the Gorky experts.