Marsden Hartley's European retrospective reveals coded homoeroticism in modernist paintings

The Louisiana Museum of Modern Art in Humlebæk is hosting the first significant European retrospective of American artist Marsden Hartley since the 1960s, showcasing more than 110 pieces created between 1906 and 1943. Curated by Mathias Ussing Seeberg, the exhibition is divided into six sections that explore Hartley’s life and artistic development. His artwork merges Continental modernism with American regionalism, reflecting his experiences as a gay man. The exhibition interprets his paintings as representations of homosexual desire, featuring early works like 'Pears' (1911) with phallic imagery and later pieces (1935–1943) portraying 'hunky' male figures. This retrospective is open from 19 September 2019 to 19 January 2020.