Harry Rand's critically acclaimed study of Gorky's brief, troubled life and artistic development is finally available in paperback.

All of Gorky's major themes are touched on and his major paintings dealt with in some depth, with attention to the details of the individual works, and frequently to the drawings and preliminary studies from which the paintings evolved. The discussion centers on the images that united the pieces as they develop from work to work. Rand explores Gorky as well as possible sources and their relationship to the body of Gorky's art. A concluding chapter reassesses Gorky's impact on the New York School in light of a new understanding of his aims and methods.

Through close study of Gorky's oeuvre, the author deciphers an iconography revealing the unexpected and systematic use of explicit ideas and symbols as well as commonplace objects, settings, and personas from the artist's life.