Smelt Brook Falls, 1937 (oil on board)

This painting reveals artist Marsden Hartley's interest in abstraction and the expression of nature's spirit. A jagged, rushing waterfall fills the canvas with its stark, white forms heavily outlined in black against the bold, rust color of its surroundings. Strongly influenced by modern European movements, Hartley's interest in Cubism and Expressionism is evident in the play of contoured and angular lines and the distorted and simplified appearance of the landscape. Speaking on the subject of waterfalls and the spiritual power of nature, Hartley declared, "I love falling water-no lake or pond can give me what a waterfall can."