Artwork
Painting No. 3
Painting No. 3 is an oil painting by the Cubism Synthetic artist Marsden Hartley. It dates from 1913 and is held in the collection of the Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art. Painting No.
About this work
Overview
Painting No. 3 is an early work by American modernist Marsden Hartley, executed in oil on canvas in 1913. The piece belongs to the collection of the Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, where it is displayed among other early twentieth‑century American paintings.
Technique & Style
The painting demonstrates Hartley’s nascent exploration of color and form, employing the fluidity of oil paint to create a composition that anticipates his later, more abstract tendencies. Brushwork is relatively loose, allowing tonal variations to suggest rather than delineate specific subjects.
History & Provenance
Created shortly after Hartley’s return from Europe, the work entered the public sphere through acquisition by the Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art. The museum’s holdings place the painting within a broader narrative of American modernism, highlighting Hartley’s role in that movement.
Context
1913 was a pivotal year for avant‑garde art, marked by the Armory Show and the rise of European modernist ideas. Hartley, influenced by these developments, began to experiment with new visual languages, and Painting No. 3 reflects his early engagement with those transformative currents.
Artist & collection
Artist
Marsden Hartley was an American Modernist painter, poet, and essayist. Hartley developed his painting abilities by observing Cubist artists in Paris and Berlin.
Museum
Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art
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