Gardener's Gloves and Shears 1937

Marsden Hartley made this painting of gardener's gloves and shears with oil on canvas. The simple subject matter is rendered with thick strokes of paint, giving the everyday objects a weighty, monumental presence. Hartley clearly took great interest in the texture and form of these items. Notice the worn leather of the gloves, perhaps stiffened by dried soil, and the sharp gleam of the metal shears, each conveyed through the artist’s gestural marks. The composition suggests a moment of rest during labor, tools laid down, and the work put aside. It brings attention to the dignity of manual work. By immortalizing these ordinary objects in paint, Hartley elevates them, reminding us of the value and beauty found in the tools we use. It prompts us to reflect on the relationship between art and craft, labor and leisure, challenging traditional hierarchies in the art world.