Agony

Mediums: oil, canvas.
Location: The Museum of Modern Art (New York, the USA).

One of the last works of Gorky with a symbolic and prophetic name was completed a year before his suicide. The flashy-red, intense colour palette of the picture shows a firm expression. It testifies to the mental torment that the artist experienced at the end of his life and which eventually led to the tragic end. Using simple forms, the artist depicted abstract figures that seemed to dance in the tongues of flame devouring them. This work symbolizes the struggle of Arshile Gorky with the adverse circumstances of his life and his inevitable defeat in this unequal confrontation.