Waxenstein Peaks, Garmisch-Partenkirchen c. 1933 - 1934

Marsden Hartley made this painting of the Waxenstein Peaks in Garmisch-Partenkirchen with some nice, juicy, confident brushstrokes of silvery paint. It makes me wonder about the actual painting process itself—the dance between intention and accident. I can imagine Hartley layering thin washes, then building up thicker impasto to capture the rugged texture of the mountains. You can almost feel the chill in the air, the crispness of the snow. And look at how he defines form through these broad, directional strokes. A stroke isn’t just a stroke. It’s a decision, a feeling, a gesture loaded with intention, and look how it’s been made. Hartley's work reminds us that painters are in an ongoing conversation, exchanging ideas across time. His art is a form of embodied expression, embracing ambiguity and multiple interpretations.