“Still Life with Skull,” created by Arshile Gorky around 1927, is an artwork belonging to the Post-Impressionism movement. This oil on canvas painting, measuring 85 x 68 cm, falls under the vanitas genre and is currently housed in a private collection.
The artwork features a skull, an emblematic symbol used historically in vanitas works to remind viewers of the inevitability of death. Gorky’s use of bold, expressive brushstrokes and a rich, muted color palette contribute to the painting’s somber and introspective atmosphere. The composition appears to be layered and textured, inviting the viewer to reflect on the transient nature of life. By situating the skull within a complex and somewhat abstract environment, Gorky blends elements of still life with deeper existential themes of mortality and time, characteristic of vanitas art.