ARSHILE GORKY (ARMENIAN-AMERICAN 1904-1948)

ARSHILE GORKY (ARMENIAN-AMERICAN 1904-1948)
Study of Two Heads,
pencil on paper mounted to mat
drawing measuring 12.8 x 16.3 cm (5 x 6 3/8 in.); full sheet measuring 27.5 x 34.5 cm (10 7/8 x 13 5/8 in.)
signed by the artist's wife lower right, warmly dedicated by Leonid Opalov to David Burliuk on the right-hand side in Russian

PROVENANCE
Gift of poet Leonid Opalov to David Burliuk, New York, 1943
Thence by descent
Acquired from the Burliuk family by the present owner

The dedication reading:
[New York, 5th November 1943 / Glad to once again speak / with my oldest friend / the greatest artist / and poet David Davidovich / Burliuk. I have always held / in the highest regard this / wizard of paints, remarkable / dandy of artistic-poetic vision. / I am always nervous reading / and rereading his amazing / poetry from the book Burliuk Shakes Hands with Woolworth Building / With deep regards / and love. / Leonid Opalov]

LOT NOTES
Leonid Opalov, born David Opalov-Podosik, was an American poet of Russian-Jewish descent. Born in Riga in 1904, Opalov began publishing in Russia at the age of 14 and continued publishing works in Russian, Yiddish, and English throughout his life (primarily in Yiddish-language American, French, Mexican and Argentine magazines). He emigrated to the United States in 1923. The same year, he met David Burliuk - the man who would become Opalov's mentor and friend for the next forty years, as well as his collaborator: drawings by Burliuk illustrate Opalov's 1940 collection of poetry Morgnroyt un demerung (Sunrise and Twilight). Opalov remained a longtime admirer of Burliuk, gifting him the present pair of drawings by Arschile Gorky (lots 97 and 98) as an expression of his appreciation.