The Dark Mountain

About this work

Hartley painted steep, jagged mountains against a dark sky. The colors are bold—cold blues and blacks, with red streaks that look like cracks or fire. You can almost feel the cold air. This small board painting feels raw. Hartley made it in Maine, long before modern art took over. The shapes are simple but packed with energy. See how thick the paint stands up in places? That’s called impasto. Look for the texture near the mountain peaks. Painted in 1909, it hangs today at the Art Institute of Chicago.