Still Life, No. 1 1912

This still life was painted by Marsden Hartley, who arranged some fruit and fabrics on a table, then recorded the whole scene in strokes of bright color. I can imagine him, brush in hand, eyes darting from the objects in front of him to the canvas, trying to capture the essence of each form with a few well-placed marks. The paint is applied thickly, giving the surface a tactile quality. Look how he's used juicy oranges, lemons and bananas as a way to give life to the scene. It's like he's saying, "Here, world, here's what I see and feel." You can almost sense the artist's excitement as he mixed colors and laid them down, one after another, building up the image layer by layer. It reminds me of Matisse, or Cezanne, or any painter who's ever been captivated by the simple beauty of everyday objects. Artists are always having this conversation with each other, across time, each one adding their own voice to the chorus. And here, Hartley's voice rings out loud and clear, full of joy and exuberance.