ticketsMember | Make a donation

The Cloisters

ca. 1940
Not on view
The deliberate crudeness and iconic appearance of Hartley’s late figure paintings derive in part from his appreciation of medieval art. This drawing commemorates a trip to The Cloisters, the branch of The Met in northern Manhattan’s Fort Tryon Park devoted to art of the Middle Ages. The picture likely dates to a 1940 visit with Isabel Lachaise, widow of American sculptor Gaston Lachaise. In a letter he wrote (but never sent) to her, Hartley recollected their admiring together a large Spanish Crucifixion. The painter described it as "that amazing twelfth century one which is like no other in my reminiscence since it gives the air of a thinking person assailed."

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: The Cloisters
  • Artist: Marsden Hartley (American, Lewiston, Maine 1877–1943 Ellsworth, Maine)
  • Date: ca. 1940
  • Medium: Crayon on paper
  • Dimensions: 16 in. × 12 1/4 in. (40.6 × 31.1 cm)
  • Classification: Drawings
  • Credit Line: Purchase, Malcolm Hewitt Wiener Foundation Gift, 1988
  • Object Number: 1988.198
  • Curatorial Department: Modern and Contemporary Art

More Artwork

More Artwork
A slider containing 5 items.
Press the down key to skip to the last item.
Grapes
Marsden Hartley
ca. 1923
Mount Katahdin, Autumn, No. 2, Marsden Hartley American, Oil on canvas
Mount Katahdin, Autumn, No. 2
Marsden Hartley
1939–40
Autumn Color, Marsden Hartley American, Oil on paperboard
Autumn Color
Marsden Hartley
ca. 1910
Study for "Lobster Fishermen", Marsden Hartley American, Pastel on paperboard
Study for "Lobster Fishermen"
Marsden Hartley
1940
Cemetery, New Mexico, Marsden Hartley American, Oil on canvas
Cemetery, New Mexico
Marsden Hartley
ca. 1924

Related Content

Publications

Books, guides, and catalogues published by The Met.

Research Resources

The Met provides unparalleled resources for research and welcomes an international community of students and scholars. The Met's Open Access API is where creators and researchers can connect to the The Met collection. Open Access data and public domain images are available for unrestricted commercial and noncommercial use without permission or fee.

To request images under copyright and other restrictions, please use this Image Request form.

Feedback

We continue to research and examine historical and cultural context for objects in The Met collection. If you have comments or questions about this object record, please complete and submit this form. The Museum looks forward to receiving your comments.