Artwork
The Antique Cast
The Antique Cast is an oil painting by Arshile Gorky. It dates from 1926 and is held in the collection of the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art.
About this work
Overview
Arshile Gorky’s 1926 work titled The Antique Cast is an oil painting on canvas. The piece is part of the collection at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, where it is displayed among the museum’s early‑20th‑century holdings.
Subject & Meaning
The composition centers on a solitary torso rendered in muted tones, positioned beside a simple vase. The juxtaposition of the human form with the vessel evokes classical references while maintaining an abstracted, modern sensibility.
Technique & Style
Gorky employs a loose, gestural brushwork that blurs the boundaries between figure and background. The palette is restrained, emphasizing tonal variation over color, and the surface shows layered applications that suggest a sculptural quality to the painted form.
History & Provenance
Created in the mid‑1920s, The Antique Cast entered the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art’s collection through acquisition in the latter half of the 20th century. Its provenance prior to museum ownership is documented through exhibition records and gallery sales of the period.
Artist & collection
Artist
Arshile Gorky was an Armenian-American painter who had a seminal influence on Abstract Expressionism.
