Marsden Hartley

Portrait Arrangement, 1914

Born in Maine, Marsden Hartley (American, 1877-1943) studied art in Cleveland and New York City before traveling to Europe in 1912. While there, Hartley experimented with Cubism and was in contact with the German Expressionist painters known as The Blue Rider. At the outbreak of World War I, Hartley, fascinated by the pageantry of the German army, began to include military imagery in his paintings. Portrait Arrangement combines a portrait, rural landscape elements, and abstracted forms or symbols such as stars and birds. Hartley’s military-themed paintings became increasingly abstract and lost their initial optimism as the war took more and more young lives.

Spotlight Submission Deadline: Friday, March 25, 2016

To apply, submit the Spotlight Submission Form online (see buttons at the top and bottom of this page).

Spotlight Celebration Date: 

Sunday, May 15, 2016, 12:00-3:00 pm

Celebration program at 1:30 pm

Teacher Resources

Download a High Res Version of Portrait Arrangement

Download Marsden Hartley Classroom Presentation

Download Spotlight Teacher Packet

Download Portrait Arrangement Discussion Questions

For more information on this program, visit the Spotlight page

Marsden Hartley, Portrait Arrangement, 1914. Oil on canvas. Collection of the McNay Art Museum, Museum Purchase.