The Liver Is the Cock's Comb
| The Liver is the Cock's Comb | |
|---|---|
| Artist | Arshile Gorky |
| Year | 1944 |
| Medium | Oil on canvas |
| Location | Albright–Knox Art Gallery, Buffalo |
| Website | https://buffaloakg.org/artworks/k19564-liver-cocks-comb |
The Liver is the Cock's Comb is a cubist painting by Armenian-American artist Arshile Gorky.[1] It is one of his largest and most famous paintings.[2][3]
The painting is considered a precursor to abstract expressionism, a post-World War II art movement.[4] Gorky was influenced by impressionism and the works of Cézanne.[5]
Title
The title, The Liver is the Cock's Comb, is ambiguous, and many art historians have attempted to propose a meaning.
Some of the abstract forms floating in the painting resemble livers. The liver, to the ancient Greeks, was thought to house the soul.[6]
A cock's comb, or coxcomb, can be a flowering plant, a jester’s cap, or a fool, among some possibilities. Some of the crown-shaped forms could also be a reference to a crest on a chicken.[6] In Greek mythology, a rooster was sacrificed to the god of male-genitalia and fertility, Priapus.[1]
Inspiration
Gorky married his second wife, Agnes Magruder, in 1941. Her parents owned a farm in rural Virginia that is purportedly the inspiration for the setting of The Liver is the Cock's Comb. Gorky synthesized both the pastoral setting of Virginia with his memories of his homeland in modern-day Van.[1]
Description
The painting depicts abstract, colorful forms that swirl and intertwine. Gorky uses a wave form composition.[3] There are biomorphic allusions to the human body: notably, human genitalia and the liver.[7] However, some experts maintain that the painting's forms are truly abstract, and not a reference to any body part in particular.[6][8]
Reception
After seeing Gorky's works -- in particular, The Liver is the Cock's Comb -- the French artist André Breton said that the painting was "one of the most important paintings made in America."[5]
Art historian Janne Sirén said of the painting:[9]
I’m endlessly mesmerised by Arshile Gorky’s painting The Liver is the Cock’s Comb (1944). In this kinetic landscape of memories and experiences, Gorky, a refugee from war-torn Armenia, celebrates life, love and the convergence of myth and reality. The painting never ceases to uplift me, while also inspiring a profound sense of humility and gratitude. How could Gorky, who had seen so much tragedy and experienced such loss, paint such a joyful landscape, and where does that leave those of us whose backpacks of hardships are far lighter?
Connection to Hepatocentrism
Hepatocentrism is the belief that the liver is the center of the human being. It has been found in numerous cultures, originating in ancient Mesopotamia. Some scholars have argued that The Liver is the Cock's Comb is an allusion to this belief.[10] The liver, as the home of the soul may be contrasted with the violence of roosters, as alluded to in the title.[6]
See also
References
- ^ a b c "The Liver Is the Cock's Comb | Buffalo AKG Art Museum". buffaloakg.org. Retrieved 2026-02-20.
- ^ "The Liver is the Cock's Comb, 1944 - Arshile Gorky - WikiArt.org". www.wikiart.org. Retrieved 2026-02-20.
- ^ a b Reiff, Robert (1963). "The Late Works of Arshile Gorky: A Critical Estimate" (PDF). Art Journal. 22 (3) – via JSTOR.
- ^ Stephens, Lannyl (2024-10-18). "Arshile Gorky: A Bridge to Abstract Expressionism - Village Preservation". Retrieved 2026-02-21.
- ^ a b Betts, Kristine; Pagel, Kate. "6.2 ABSTRACT EXPRESSIONISM". HUM 1023: Modern Civilizations.
- ^ a b c d Arrese, Marco (2012). "The liver in painting: a case of abstraction". Liver International. 32 (6).
- ^ ""The Liver is the Cock's Comb" by Arshile Gorky (1944) | COVE". editions.covecollective.org. Retrieved 2026-02-20.
- ^ Hester, Marcus (1975). "Sensibility and Visual Acts". American Philosophical Quarterly. 12 (4): 299–308. ISSN 0003-0481.
- ^ Luke, Ben (2023-04-03). "From Abstract Expressionism to Finland's national poet: art historian Janne Sirén on his greatest cultural experiences". The Art Newspaper - International art news and events. Retrieved 2026-02-20.
- ^ Orlandi, Riccardo; Cianci, Nicole; Invernizzi, Pietro; Cesana, Giancarlo; Riva, Michele Augusto (2018). ""I Miss My Liver." Nonmedical Sources in the History of Hepatocentrism". Hepatology Communications. 2 (8): 986–993. doi:10.1002/hep4.1224. ISSN 2471-254X. PMC 6078213. Archived from the original on 2024-04-02.