I am not a book of the month artist
and do not paint pretty pictures; but when I am no longer here my name will
register forever in the history of American Art and so that’s something too.
Marsden
Hartley (1877-1943)
Hartley’s life story was not a familiar one
of an early American modernist. His life was troubled by the early deaths of
several family members. Over the course of his life, he could never quite
adjust to the feelings of isolation that plagued him in his youth. Moreover, his identity as a gay man further estranged him from
society. With this in mind, it seems rather appropriate that Hartley created
some of his most powerfully expressive works during his bouts of depression and
on his trips to fairly remote locales.
The
first mature paintings Hartley executed were expressive, Maine landscapes. The
snow capped mountains, lush forests, and ominous clouds of the Eastern climate
provided a dramatic atmosphere for the artist’s blossoming talent. In these early
works, Hartley effortlessly suggests the powerful, divine
qualities of nature.
When
Hartley moved to New York in 1909, he was submersed in the avant-garde circle
of the 291. Through his association with Alfred Stieglitz, Hartley interacted
with such artists as Alfred Maurer, Edward Steichen, Max Weber, Abraham
Walkowitz, and Marius de Zayas. Straight from the mouths of New York’s top modernists, Hartley learned
of the new art movements developing in Europe. At the 291, he studied firsthand
the art of Paul Cezanne, Henri Matisse, Pablo Picasso,
Georges Braque, and Auguste Rodin. His New York education undoubtedly had an
effect on his style. Over the following years, it evolved to incorporate
aspects of European modernism. The most noticeable change was the adoption of
primary colors painted in thick, heavy brushstrokes. Over the course of his
travels to Europe, his manner developed into a confident, expressionist style.
In
as early as 1915, critics noticed similarities between Hartley’s art and that of the ancient Australians and Indians. They professed that a spiritual tone was present in
his brightly colored, abstract paintings. There assumptions were proven correct
when he moved to the Southwest and spent time in Mexico during the 1910s and
the early 1930s. The primitive figural style of Native
American art greatly appealed to Hartley and is especially apparent in his
later paintings. By the end of his life, he had come full circle, returning to
seclusion and again painting deeply personal landscapes of the Maine coastline. (sullivangoss.com)
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