Marsden Hartley, The German Paintings

A new exhibit at LACMA is entitled "Marsden Hartley, The German Paintings, 1913-1915."  This American painter, born in Maine, lived from 1877-1943.  From 1912 to 1915 he lived in Europe, in Paris and then in Berlin.  While in Paris, he was introduced to Gertrude Stein's salon where he met Prussian officer, Karl von Freyburg who became his lover.  He moved to Berlin to be with von Freyburg and this influenced his painting.  He created canvases that were memorials to von Freyburg to died in the war in 1914 on October 7 in France.  Here is one of his paintings on exhibit at the museum entitled "The Iron Cross."  This refers to the medal awarded to von Freyburg after his death.  The exhibit shows many of the 45 paintings that were created as memorials to von Freyburg by Hartley and exhibited in Munich in October 1915.  The artist left Europe in December of that year.

"Iron Cross," 1915 by Marsden Hartley