Movement, Bermuda 1916

Marsden Hartley built this painting with oils, probably on canvas, and in it, the image comes into being block by block, with muted shades of pink and black. I can imagine Marsden Hartley carefully building the image. Was it an intuitive process, or was it carefully planned? Each form feels deliberately placed, creating a sense of balance and tension, like a house of cards. The surface is smooth, and the paint looks like it has been gently laid on, one form at a time. The black dot hovers, like an abstracted eye. It’s a simple gesture that feels bold, almost playful. Hartley’s approach reminds me a little of Léger. There's a similar sense of distilling forms down to their essence. Painters are always talking to each other, across the ages, and that’s what makes painting so endlessly interesting! These works embody a dialogue between inner vision and outward expression, inviting us to participate in a conversation that is always evolving.