What Do You See? The Collection of Sidney Rothberg, Part I

The present Lot is included by Gail R. Scott in the Marsden Hartley Legacy Project: Complete Paintings and Works on Paper. 

Please note this work has been requested to be included in the forthcoming exhibition “The First Homosexuals,” a large-scale exhibition of over 250 works presented by Alphawood Exhibitions at Wrightwood 659, a Tadao Ando designed exhibition space in Chicago, Illinois. The exhibition will open May 1, 2025 and conclude on August 1, 2025.

Pansy, a striking solitary yellow flower set against a dynamic purple backdrop, is a wonderful example by Hartley. The simplicity of the composition contrasts with the flower’s bold and distinctive form - a result of Hartley’s intentional and expressive brushwork that injects a sense of movement and energy into the piece. Through a touch of abstraction, the artist highlights the graphic qualities of the flower, distilling it to fundamental elements and stylizing its petals, center, and overall structure in adherence to a modernist aesthetic. Hartley’s use of a vibrant color palette amplifies the overall visual impact of the work, which commands the viewer’s attention. It also elicits a spectrum of emotions, from joy and warmth to introspection as pansies are generally associated with sentiments of love, remembrance, and thoughtfulness.