Landscape no. 26 1909 - 1910

Marsden Hartley created this oil on board painting, Landscape no. 26, during a period of great social and artistic change. In the early 20th century, the art world was shifting away from traditional representation towards abstraction, and Hartley was at the forefront of these developments in the United States. His landscape paintings, like this one, reflect a move toward simplified forms and bold colors, influenced by European modernism. But they also capture a distinctly American spirit, reflecting a desire to break from academic traditions. We see the influence of institutions such as Alfred Stieglitz’s 291 gallery in New York that were crucial in promoting modern art at the time, but the American landscape is also always present as a subject in Hartley's oeuvre. By exploring Hartley's biography and the social history of American art institutions, we can better understand the context of this landscape and its place within the broader cultural landscape of the time.