The Ice Hole 1908

Marsden Hartley made “The Ice Hole” with what looks like oil paint, and I can only imagine him working outside on a freezing cold day! I love the way he used these flecks of intense blues all over to build up his forms, like the mountains in the background. And those clouds, tinged with pink and orange, seem to glow with an internal light. Hartley’s use of colour is so emotionally charged, and I feel like he must have been really wrestling with his feelings, letting it all pour out onto the canvas. When you look at the little gestures, you can see Hartley trying to capture not just what he saw, but also what it felt like to be there, breathing in the icy air. It reminds me of other painters who were working with landscapes, like Cezanne or Van Gogh, trying to get at something deeper than just a pretty picture. It’s like they’re all having this big conversation across time. What do you think they are saying to each other?