Alpspitze, Mittenwald Road from Gschwandtnerbauer

Artist/Maker Marsden Hartley (American, 1877 - 1943)

Datec. 1933-34

MediumOil on cardboard

DimensionsOverall: 17 9/16 × 29 9/16 in. (44.6 × 75.1 cm) Frame (11/2016): 24 1/2 × 36 1/2 × 1 7/8 in. (62.2 × 92.7 × 4.8 cm)

Credit LineGift of James Taylor Dunn, Class of 1936

Object number1986.18

Not on view

DescriptionMountains were a focal point of Marsden Hartley’s work as early as 1908, when he painted views of the White Mountains near North Lovell, Maine. Alpspitze, Mittenwald Road from Gschwandtnerbauer is one of a series of mountain “portraits” the artist made during the nine months he spent in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, in the Bavarian Alps of Germany, from fall 1933 until spring 1934. Hartley, who admired traditional Chinese painters’ depictions of mountains, particularly with respect to their spacing and rhythm, wrote that the central peak of the Waxenstein range alone could “start another school of Chinese painting.” This painting of Alpspitze—another favored subject—demonstrates a strong axiality, with the masses of craggy rock distilled to flattened, pyramidal shapes. In the geometric facets of the mountain, one may also detect the influence of Paul Cézanne and his famous series of watercolors and oils of Mont Sainte-Victoire. In fact, Hartley had painted that peak as well, in 1927, when he was living in Provence. Hartley’s German sojourn followed a year-long stay in Mexico, where he had been inspired by Aztec art and archaeology, theosophical mysticism, and spirituality. His paintings of the Alps maintain an element of mystical symbolism but differ from the paintings he made in Mexico in that they are derived from direct observation rather than mostly fantasy. Along with this and other paintings, Hartley produced many naturalistic sketches and four lithographs while in Germany. He considered these activities abroad to be “proud preparation for recovering the ‘eye’ for the native scene” and went on to paint views of Mount Katahdin in his home state of Maine for many years, following a visit in October 1939. This work’s wood frame was recently fabricated specifically for it by the frame restorers Eli Wilner & Company, whose services were generously donated by the company and Kevin W. Kennedy, Class of 1970, H2004. The techniques used are identical to those employed by frame makers in the 1930s, and the carving relates to the “wormy chestnut” type of frame associated with Hartley. The painting itself was donated to the Emerson Gallery in 1986 by James Taylor Dunn, Class of 1936. While serving in the United States Army from 1942 to 1945, Dunn sent his earnings to his brother, Montfort Dunn, director of the Saint Paul Gallery and School of Art in Saint Paul, Minnesota, for the purchase of works of art for his collection. This painting was included in a 1944 exhibition of Hartley’s work held at the Museum of Modern Art, New York, which subsequently toured the country. Monfort Dunn likely purchased it after seeing the exhibition at the Walker Art Center in Minneapolis (see also cat. no. 82). (SOURCE: Alcauskas, INNOVATIVE APPROACHES, HONORED TRADITIONS, 2017) This work’s wood frame was recently fabricated specifically for it by the frame restorers Eli Wilner & Company, whose services were generously donated by the company and by Kevin Kennedy, Class of 1970. In selecting a frame for the Hartley, reference was made to known frame styles associated with the artist. We made particular reference to the silver-gilded frame found on the closely related painting Garmisch - Partenkirchen, also dated 1933, in the collection of the Milwaukee Art Museum (see attached). Together with the Wellin Museum's curatorial team, the decision was made to find an appropriate frame with a silver finish, which we felt would compliment the tonality of the painting. After reviewing a number of options, a mid-20th century American period frame was selected from the Eli Wilner inventory with both a silver-gilded surface and a hand-carved rhythmic detail at the outside edge. The carving relates the frame to 'wormy chestnut' style frames of the same period, which are also associated with Hartley (see attached image of the frame on Hartley's Mount Katahdin Maine). The Eli Wilner master carvers, gilders and finishers replicated this period frame using the same techniques that would have been used by the finest frame makers of the 1930's.

Collections

Additional Details

Alternate Titles Alpspitz, Mittenwald Road
Alpine Vista [Alpspitze, Mittenwald Road from Gschwandtnerbauer]

Exhibition History 2017
Clinton, NY (Ruth and Elmer Wellin Museum of Art, Hamilton College). "Innovative Approaches, Honored Traditions: The Ruth and Elmer Wellin Museum of Art at Five Years, Highlights from the Permanent Collection," September 9 - December 10, 2017 (cat. no. 74, illus.);

2012-13
Clinton, NY (Ruth and Elmer Wellin Museum of Art, Hamilton College). "Affinity Atlas," October 4, 2012 - April 7, 2013 (brochure);

2007
Clinton, NY (Fred L. Emerson Gallery, Hamilton College). "Highlights from the Permanent Collection," February 19 - April 15, 2007 (no catalog);

2006
Clinton, NY (Fred L. Emerson Gallery, Hamilton College). "Selections from the Permanent Collection," January 16 - December 30, 2006 (no catalog);

2005
Clinton, NY (Fred L. Emerson Gallery, Hamilton College). "Hamilton Collects: A Century of Curiosities: The Story of the Hamilton College Collection", September 29 - December 30, 2005 (unnumbered cat., illus. cover, frontisepiece);

1993
Huntington, NY (Heckscher Museum). "In a New Light: Seven Artists from the Heckscher Collection," January 1, 1993 (no catalog);

1992
Clinton, NY (Fred L. Emerson Gallery, Hamilton College). "Highlights from the Hamilton College Collection," June 5 - September 6, 1992 (cat. no 75);

1989-1990
Clinton, NY (Fred L. Emerson Gallery, Hamilton College). "Marsden Hartley In Bavaria," September 23 - November 5, 1989 (traveling exhibition, cat. no. 4, illus. cover); traveled to: Milwaukee, WI (Milwaukee Art Museum), November 30, 1989 - January 28, 1990; Brunswick, ME (Bowdoin College Museum of Art), February 15 - April 15, 1990; New York City, NY (Baruch College Gallery of the City University of New York), May 2 - June 7, 1990;

1987
Clinton, NY (Fred L. Emerson Gallery, Hamilton College). "Fourteen Alumni Collectors," September 27 - November 16, 1987 (no catalogue);

1944-46
New York, NY (Museum of Modern Art). "Marden Hartley," October 24, 1944 - January 14, 1945 [MoMA Exh. #263]; traveled as "Lyonel Feininger and Marsden Hartley" to: Williamstown, MA (Williams College); Austin, TX (University of Texas, College of Fine Arts); Colorado Springs, CO (Taylor Museum); San Francisco, CA (San Francisco Museum of Art); Minneapolis, MN (Walker Art Center); Jacksonville, IL (Macmurray College); Chicago, IL (Arts Club of Chicago); Buffalo, NY (Albright-Knox Art Gallery), January 19 - February 17, 1946.

Provenance 1986: Hamilton College (Fred L. Emerson Gallery), by gift of James Taylor Dunn;
1945-1986: James Taylor Dunn, by purchase from dealer Dikran G. Kelekian, NY;
?-1945: with dealer Dikran G. Kelekian, NY, most likely from the artist.

Markings Labels: white label with "The Museum of Modern Art / 44.2065 / Kelekian" on verso at upper right; white label with blue border with "Alpespitz - Mittenwald Road / 1935 / Marsden Hartley" handwritten in pencil and "An American Place / Room 1710-509 Madison Ave / New York NY" stamp at the lower left on verso at upper center; blue label "No. 40 [handwritten in pencil] / VVS Budsworth & son / Packers & Shippers / 424 W. 52nd St." on verso at right edge center.

Stamps: "AN AMERICAN PLACE / ROOM 1710 - 509 MADISON AVE / NEW YORK, - N. Y." on verso at center in blue ink; "[unknown monogram] A1105 [hand-written]" on verso at right in black ink; "PROPERRY OF [scratched out]" on verso [upside down] at upper left in red ink.

Published References Katherine D. Alcauskas, INNOVATIVE APPROACHES, HONORED TRADITIONS: THE RUTH AND ELMER WELLIN MUSEUM OF ART AT FIVE YEARS, HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE PERMANENT COLLECTION (Clinton, NY: Wellin Museum of Art, 2017), p. 174;

HIGHLIGHTS OF THE HAMILTON COLLEGE COLLECTION (exhibition catalogue). Clinton, NY: Emerson Gallery, Hamilton College, 1992. cat. no. 75.

MARSDEN HARTLEY IN BAVARIA (exhibition catalogue). Text by Gail Levin. Clinton, NY: Hamilton College, 1989. cover. [dated wrong]

Acquisitions 1986 (newsletter). Clinton, NY: Emerson Gallery, Hamilton College, 1988. Friends of Art Newsletter, vol. 1, no. 1.

LIONEL FEININGER, MARSDEN HARTLEY (exhibition catalogue). New York, NY: MoMA, 1944. [dated wrong in catalog]

Signature Initialed "M.H" at lower right in oil.

Inscribed "7/31/40 M.H. #10" on verso at upper center in pen; "Alpspitz / Mittenwald Road / #1" on verso at upper left in pencil; "2 - 18 [circled]" on verso at upper center in pencil; "Kelekian [underlined]" on verso in red pen; "Marsden Hartley" on verso at center in crayon; "Hartley" on verso at upper right in crayon; "20E57 / 7965" on verso [upside down] at lower right corner in white chalk.