1938, Marsden Hartley, Give Us This Day -- San Diego Museum of Art
From the museum label: This painting, symbolizing love and tragedy, was inspired by Hartley's time in the harsh environs of Nova Scotia. The title references The Lord's Prayer, an important part of Christian worship, while the fish represent three young men Hartley cherished who drowned at sea. Though the fish suggest death, the central seagull, with its wings raised, recalls traditional depictions of the Holy Spirit as a dove, balancing reminders of mortality with the promise of redemption.
1938, Marsden Hartley, Give Us This Day -- San Diego Museum of Art
From the museum label: This painting, symbolizing love and tragedy, was inspired by Hartley's time in the harsh environs of Nova Scotia. The title references The Lord's Prayer, an important part of Christian worship, while the fish represent three young men Hartley cherished who drowned at sea. Though the fish suggest death, the central seagull, with its wings raised, recalls traditional depictions of the Holy Spirit as a dove, balancing reminders of mortality with the promise of redemption.