Berlin Symbols #6 1914 - 1915

Marsden Hartley’s ‘Berlin Symbols #6’, is a drawing made with crayon on paper. Looking at this piece, I imagine Hartley, alone in his studio, feeling a deep connection to both the visible world and the unseen forces that shape it. With each mark, he wasn't just representing reality, but he was trying to tap into some deeper truth. The composition, with its central vertical axis, feels like an attempt to organize the chaos of experience, to find some stability amidst uncertainty. Those wavy lines at the bottom, could they be water or perhaps waves of emotion? The circle at the top—a symbol of wholeness, or a portal to another realm? Hartley’s piece reminds me of other artists who, like him, sought to express the inexpressible through simple yet evocative forms. It is like they are all talking to each other through time. And what is so exciting is that the conversation isn't over! As viewers we can add our own thoughts to the mix.