Items Similar to [Studies in Fragility] – Oil on Canvas Still Life by Paul Gorka, circa 1965
Want more images or videos?
Request additional images or videos from the seller
1 of 12
Paul Gorka[Studies in Fragility] – Oil on Canvas Still Life by Paul Gorka, circa 1965circa 1965
circa 1965
About the Item
PAUL GORKA – UNTITLED [STUDIES IN FRAGILITY]
Oil on Canvas ⚜ Signed Lower Right ⚜ Custom Conservation Frame
A COMPLEX, SYMBOLIC STILL LIFE OF MIDCENTURY AMERICAN INTROSPECTION
Untitled [Studies in Fragility] captures the quiet tension between beauty and decay. In this richly detailed still life, Paul Gorka balances familiar household objects—open books, withering flowers, raw eggs, brittle paper scrolls, and glass jars—within a theatrical composition that invites the viewer to linger. The result is a tableau that both honors and questions the structures we rely on: intellectual, domestic, and emotional. The warm palette, dramatic lighting, and symbolic density are hallmarks of Gorka’s work, which frequently wove classical technique with modern psychological inquiry.
Meticulously rendered and conceptually layered, this rare midcentury canvas is framed in a custom archival wood frame with a canvas liner and remains in excellent condition.
WHY COLLECT THIS WORK?
✓ Rare large-scale still life by Paul Gorka, a leading figure in Philadelphia’s postwar realist movement
✓ Signed by the artist, lower right
✓ Symbolic subject matter reflecting themes of impermanence, knowledge, and personal history
✓ Conservation framed in custom wood frame with canvas liner
✓ Evocative fusion of American realism and European classical influence
ARTWORK DETAILS:
▸ Title: Untitled [Studies in Fragility]
▸ Artist: Paul Gorka (1927–2020)
▸ Medium: Oil on Canvas
▸ Creation Date: circa 1965
▸ Country of Creation: United States
▸ Signed: Hand-Signed Lower Right
▸ Dimensions:
— ◼︎ Artwork Size: 36.25 x 48.25 inches
— ◻︎ Frame Size: 42 x 54.125 x 1.5 inches
▸ Condition: Excellent – Strong color and surface integrity
▸ Framing: Custom Wood Frame with Canvas Liner – Ready to hang
INCLUDED DOCUMENTATION:
✓ Certificate of Authenticity
✓ Artist Biography Document
THE ARTIST:
Paul Gorka was a Philadelphia-based painter celebrated for his psychologically charged still lifes and portraits. Born in 1927, Gorka studied at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts and later taught at Drexel University. Though formally trained in classical methods, Gorka developed a unique visual language rooted in personal symbolism, surreal undertones, and richly composed interiors.
Gorka’s work explores emotional tension through everyday objects—glass vessels, musical instruments, handwritten notes—often arranged in theatrical spaces or dreamlike settings. He remained committed to realism even as abstraction dominated the mid-20th-century art world, and his work stands today as a vital document of postwar introspection.
His paintings have been exhibited at institutions such as the Philadelphia Museum of Art, Woodmere Art Museum, and the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts. Gorka’s works are held in both private and public collections and remain significant to collectors of American realist and visionary art.
- Creator:Paul Gorka (1931, American)
- Creation Year:circa 1965
- Dimensions:Height: 42 in (106.68 cm)Width: 54.125 in (137.48 cm)Depth: 1.5 in (3.81 cm)
- Medium:
- Movement & Style:
- Period:
- Condition:This piece is well-preserved, in great condition, framed, and ready to hang.
- Gallery Location:Miami, FL
- Reference Number:Seller: 1012181stDibs: LU2843216403352
About the Seller
New to 1stDibs
Joined in the past six months.
No Reviews Yet
Vetted Professional Seller
Every seller passes strict standards for authenticity and reliability
Established in 1968
1stDibs seller since 2025
- ShippingRetrieving quote...Shipping from: Miami, FL
- Return Policy
Authenticity Guarantee
In the unlikely event there’s an issue with an item’s authenticity, contact us within 1 year for a full refund. DetailsMoney-Back Guarantee
If your item is not as described, is damaged in transit, or does not arrive, contact us within 7 days for a full refund. Details24-Hour Cancellation
You have a 24-hour grace period in which to reconsider your purchase, with no questions asked.Vetted Professional Sellers
Our world-class sellers must adhere to strict standards for service and quality, maintaining the integrity of our listings.Price-Match Guarantee
If you find that a seller listed the same item for a lower price elsewhere, we’ll match it.Trusted Global Delivery
Our best-in-class carrier network provides specialized shipping options worldwide, including custom delivery.More From This Seller
View AllRalph Rosenborg "Rock Flowers" Signed Abstract Expressionist Oil, Framed 1965
By Ralph Rosenborg
Located in Miami, FL
RALPH ROSENBORG – "ROCK FLOWERS"
Oil on Canvas ⚜ Signed & Dated Lower Left & Verso ⚜ Float Frame
A VIBRANT EXPRESSIONIST WORK FROM A TRUE AMERICAN MODERNIST
In Rock Flowers, painted...
Category
1960s Abstract Expressionist Abstract Paintings
Materials
Oil
Charles Levier Oil Painting, Signed Midcentury Floral Still Life, Framed c. 1955
By Charles Levier
Located in Miami, FL
CHARLES LEVIER – UNTITLED [BOUQUET SUR TABLE ROUGE]
Oil on Canvas ⚜ Signed Lower Right ⚜ Custom Conservation Frame ⚜ Provenance Label on Verso
A VIBRANT MIDCENTURY FLORAL STILL LIFE...
Category
1950s Post-Impressionist Still-life Paintings
Materials
Canvas, Oil, Other Medium
Charles Levier “La Nappe” Signed Oil on Canvas Still Life with Melon c. 1965
By Charles Levier
Located in Miami, FL
CHARLES LEVIER – “LA NAPPE”
Oil on Canvas ⚜ Signed Lower Right & Verso ⚜ Custom Conservation Frame
A BRIGHTLY STAGED MIDCENTURY STILL LIFE BURSTING WITH COLOR & FORM
“La Nappe” is a...
Category
1960s Post-Impressionist Still-life Paintings
Materials
Canvas, Oil
Charles Levier "Le Vase Bleu" Signed Midcentury Floral Oil Painting, Framed
By Charles Levier
Located in Miami, FL
CHARLES LEVIER – "LE VASE BLEU"
Oil on Canvas ⚜ Signed Lower Right & Verso ⚜ Professionally Framed
A RARE MIDCENTURY STILL LIFE WITH HISTORICAL DEPTH
A striking floral still life by...
Category
1960s Post-Impressionist Still-life Paintings
Materials
Oil
Charles Levier Signed Midcentury Oil Still Life with Mandolin & Fruit, c. 1955
By Charles Levier
Located in Miami, FL
CHARLES LEVIER – UNTITLED [NATURE MORTE AVEC MANDOLINE, PICHET ET FRUITS]
Oil on Board ⚜ Signed Lower Right ⚜ Custom Minimalist Frame
A RARE MIDCENTURY STILL LIFE WITH STRIKING SCAL...
Category
1950s Post-Impressionist Still-life Paintings
Materials
Oil, Gesso
Charles Levier Midcentury Oil Painting of French Canal Scene, Signed c. 1955
By Charles Levier
Located in Miami, FL
CHARLES LEVIER – UNTITLED [PONT AU-DESSUS DU CANAL]
Oil on Canvas ⚜ Signed Lower Right ⚜ Custom Conservation Frame
A STYLIZED MIDCENTURY CITYSCAPE WITH CUBIST RHYTHM AND MODERN ELEG...
Category
1950s Post-Impressionist Landscape Paintings
Materials
Canvas, Oil, Other Medium
You May Also Like
Torn Poster - oil on canvas
Located in Burlingame, CA
'Torn Poster' 47 1/2 x 36 inches, iconic trompe l'oeil fireworks still life oil on canvas painting from internationally acclaimed American Realist James Torlakson, whose work depicts...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary American Realist Still-life Paintings
Materials
Canvas, Oil
"Artist Studio Pallet & Brushes" Photorealist Turquoise Oil on Canvas Painting
Located in New York, NY
A surrealistic Nemethy from a brand new series which fuzes photorealism with surrealism in a most interesting current style. With the finest details, Nemethy creates an atmosphere th...
Category
2010s American Realist Still-life Paintings
Materials
Canvas, Oil
The Truth about Beauty
By Elizabeth Barlow
Located in Burlingame, CA
For Elizabeth Barlow, painting the intricate details of a flower is a meditation that promotes a deep reverence for all living things. The artist imbues her works with a radiant ligh...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary American Realist Still-life Paintings
Materials
Linen, Oil
'Ephemeral Spring' - still life - floral, botanical, impressionism, landscape
Located in Atlanta, GA
This painting features hues of yellow, orange and purple.
Chattanooga-based artist Christina Renfer Vogel’s “Turning Towards the Sun” features paintings that reflect an intentional turn towards beauty in the face of the tension & uncertainty of recent years. Through nourishing periods of focused observation, she has allowed herself to delight in jubilant color, playful pattern & sensual gesture. Her works delight in the delicate unfurling of a tender leaf & the gentle turn towards an open window, as flowers seek warmth & stretch towards sunlight in the space of a painting session.
“Bringing plants...
Category
2010s Post-Impressionist Still-life Paintings
Materials
Oil, Canvas
Spring Garden 8 Oil on Canvas Abstract Floral Cuban Artist Balance 26" x 24"
By Mario Gonzalez Rodriguez
Located in Houston, TX
Mario González (MALLO)
Spring Garden 8 Oil on Canvas Abstract Floral Cuban Artist Balance 26" x 24" Look for Free Shipping at Checkout
Stains of color and loose brushstrokes make ...
Category
2010s Abstract Still-life Paintings
Materials
Canvas, Oil
Spring Garden 6 Oil on Canvas Abstract Floral Cuban Artist 29" x 27" Balance
By Mario Gonzalez Rodriguez
Located in Houston, TX
Mario González (MALLO)
Spring Garden 6 Oil on Canvas Abstract Floral Cuban Artist 29" x 27"
Cuban Artist
Stains of color and loose brushstrokes make...
Category
2010s Abstract Abstract Paintings
Materials
Canvas, Oil
