The liver as a cockscomb

Mediums: oil, canvas.
Location: The Albright Knox Gallery (Buffalo, the USA).

With the outbreak of World War II, many artists left Europe and immigrated to America. Among them, there was famous artist, poet and Surrealist Andre Breton, who immediately drew attention to the outstanding talent of Arshile Gorky. In the painting “The liver as a cockscomb”, a strong influence of Breton’s ideology is noticeable, and the Frenchman invented even the original name of the painting. Despite the fact that Gorky did not accept surreal methods with their appeal to the subconscious and dreams, he adopted the plasticity of forms and freedom of expression of his inner world from this style. As for the plot of the painting, it was based on the ancient Armenian custom of beheading a rooster, with which a man could prove his determination and courage.