The Plough and the Song
Reportedly started in the summer of 1943 in the Virginia countryside, The Plough and the Song is a direct reflection of the tranquil monotony of farm life, an idealization of Gorky’s Armenian childhood, with women laboring in the fields. The painting is, at once, serene and sexual. He yearns for a past that he has reinvented—one devoid of violence and anguish. (c. 1947, the painting now sits at the Allen Memorial Art Museum at Oberlin College)
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No list on Armenian folk music would be complete without the inclusion of the lullaby, "Ari Im Sokhag" ("Come Hither, My Nightingale"). There are countless versions of this song all over the Internet and it remains one of Armenia’s favorite folk songs, which may seem baffling. Why so much love for a children’s song?
Arshile Gorky’s pioneering art has made him the subject of several books, documentaries, and even a nonprofit foundation dedicated to understanding his work. Yet, his revolutionary legacy also lives on outside of the art world—in one of the most unexpected of places—his home. We ventured to find this artistic oasis and, in doing so, learned more about the man behind the painting. This year marks the 70th anniversary of Gorky’s passing and the unassuming farmhouse that once inspired one of the 20th century’s best painters continues to inspire new generations.
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