Lobster on Black Background (1940-1941)
Technique: Giclée quality print
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Marsden Hartley's "Lobster on Black Background," painted between 1940 and 1941, captivatingly represents a singular creature of the sea. The artist's use of a stark, black backdrop magnificently accentuates the vivid red of the lobster, turning it into a dramatic, nearly surreal presence. The painting captures the unique physicality of the lobster, with detailed attention paid to its powerful claws, articulated legs, and the segmented nature of its shell.Hartley employs a simplified yet expressive style, where the bold contours and minimalistic use of color exemplify his modernist approach. The playful yet menacing demeanor of the lobster is enhanced by subtle highlights and shadows, injecting life into this marine portrait. This powerful, graphic quality invites viewers to reflect on the natural beauty and complexity of even the most ordinary beings—a typical hallmark in Hartley's exploration of American identity through object and landscape.
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Marsden Hartley (1877–1943) is a Maine native and a leading American Modernist painter, along with his contemporaries, Arthur Dove and Georgia O’Keeffe. He is well-known for employing geometric abstraction as well as bold colors and lines. His paintings depicted imagery of nature, landscapes, figures, and still-life. Sponsored by Alfred Stieglitz, Hartley went to Europe in 1912, spending most of his time in Germany, where he met Gertrude Stein, Wassily Kandinsky, and Franz Marc. After returning to America in 1930, he reconnected with the New England of his childhood and started to portray the landscapes of New England in his paintings.