Storm Wave (1939-40) Art Print | Marsden Hartley

Marsden Hartley was a modernist painter, poet, and essayist whose bold use of color, form, and symbolism made him one of the key figures in early 20th-century American art. Often associated with both German Expressionism and American Modernism, Hartley developed a deeply personal style that blended abstraction with emotional and spiritual themes.

Born in Maine, Hartley trained at the Cleveland School of Art and later studied in New York, where he became part of Alfred Stieglitz’s circle of avant-garde artists. His travels in Europe, especially in Germany, exposed him to Expressionism and Cubism, influences that shaped his celebrated German Officer series (1914–15), which mourned the loss of a close friend in World War I. These works combined militaristic symbols, abstracted forms, and coded personal references, establishing Hartley as a daring innovator.

Throughout his career, Hartley returned repeatedly to the landscapes and rugged spirit of his native Maine, painting mountains, coastlines, and working-class figures with a mix of realism and modernist abstraction. His later works often celebrated masculinity, spirituality, and the harsh beauty of nature.

Though underappreciated during his lifetime, Hartley is now recognized as a pioneer of American modernism, whose art bridged European avant-garde movements with a distinctly American sensibility. His paintings are celebrated for their intensity, honesty, and poetic depth.