Indiana University Indiana University IU

Back to browse

Three Friends

Artist Marsden Hartley (American, 1877–1943)
Title Three Friends
Date 1941
Medium Oil on masonite
Dimensions Framed: 51 5/8 × 40 1/8 × 3 in. (131.1 × 101.9 × 7.6 cm)
Support: 41 × 30 in. (104.1 × 76.2 cm)
Credit Line Gift of Sarahanne Adams Hope in memory of Henry R. Hope, Eskenazi Museum of Art, Indiana University
Accession Number 91.28

Share this artwork!

About this Work

Marsden Hartley spent the years 1913 through 1915 in Berlin, where he met Expressionist painters Wassily Kandinsky and Franz Marc. Christian iconography appeared prominently in the work of the German Expressionists, who interpreted traditional motifs as universal metaphors for human suffering and compassion. Hartley alluded to these concerns in his late painting Three Friends. It depicts three socially marginalized figures—the crucified Christ, a nearly nude boxer, and a clown. These figures appear unified through suffering, but also through prayer and companionship.


Provenance research is ongoing for this and many other items in the Eskenazi Museum of Art permanent collection. For more information about the provenance of this artwork, please contact the department curator with specific questions.

Viewing Information
This artwork is currently on view.

 

Request this Image
The Eskenazi Museum of Art provides images of its collection, free of charge, upon request. This artwork is under copyright protection. You can request the image and it will be emailed to you when the request is complete.

Cite this Page
"Three Friends | Collections Online." Collections Online. Sidney and Lois Eskenazi Museum of Art, Indiana University, 2024. https://artmuseum.indiana.edu/collections-online/browse/object.php?number=91.28