In 2019, the year before Ron Gorchov passed away, Stephen Truax, director of Cheim & Read, his then gallery, passed along details of this extraordinary painting to Gorchov's studio to be included in a forthcoming catalogue raisonne. When shown the work, Gorchov remembered it well, but was amazed that the painting was still in existence after so many years. This historic early self-portrait, done over a period of four years, from 1955-1959, starting when he was only 25 years old reveals Gorchov's distinctive and sophisticated sense of color and form. This is one of the artist's earliest works, and very few works by Gorchov from this era ever appear on the market or are known to remain in existence. This work was gifted by the artist to
Elthea Rembrandt Peale Florman in NYC in 1959 - the year Gorchov won a prestigious Ingram Merrill Foundation award. Elthea was also an artist, and came from a long line of American artists. She was immersed in the art scene in NYC until she went to art school in Tennessee. The painting was given to her by Ron Gorchov and remained in Ms. Florman's collection until her passing, whereupon it was bequeathed to her descendants.