E - Marsden Hartley

A 1915 abstract symbolic portrait by Marsden Hartley, featuring military insignia and geometric patterns from his Berlin War Motifs series.

Marsden Hartley painted E in 1915 during his residence in Berlin. This work belongs to a series of symbolic portraits known as the War Motifs. These paintings commemorate Karl von Freyburg, a Prussian officer and close friend of Hartley who died in the early months of the First World War. Rather than a literal likeness, Hartley used a collection of military insignia and personal symbols to represent the individual. This approach allowed Hartley to express complex emotions through a structured, almost heraldic visual system. The composition features a dense arrangement of geometric shapes and heraldic patterns set against a flat black background. A large red and yellow target occupies the lower foreground, while a smaller red ring sits near the top. The letter E appears in the upper right quadrant, likely referring to von Freyburg's regiment or a specific military designation. Other elements include the Iron Cross, Bavarian lozenge patterns, and a black-and-white checkerboard. The presence of numbers like 4 and 6 adds to the cryptic, coded nature of the work, suggesting specific dates or military units associated with the fallen soldier. Hartley's style in this period shows the influence of German Expressionism and the Cubist experiments he encountered in Europe. The heavy outlines and flat application of paint create a sense of physical weight. The use of primary colours provides a stark contrast to the dark negative space. This painting is an example of early American abstraction, showing how Hartley translated personal grief into a visual language of signs and emblems. The work avoids traditional perspective, opting instead for a flattened space where symbols overlap and compete for attention.