Portrait of a Sea Dove—Dead

Marsden Hartley's Portrait of a Sea Dove-Dead (1935) is an oil on composition board that shows Hartley's later, more representational style. The painting depicts a dead sea dove (a bird), the subject treated with the directness and emotional intensity characteristic of Hartley's late work. The bird is rendered with bold, simplified forms and a restricted palette. The title Portrait of a Sea Dove-Dead suggests that this is not a still life but a portrait, an image that captures the presence of the creature even in death. Hartley's late works are characterized by a return to representation and a new formal power.

Hartley's late still lifes and portraits of birds are among his most powerful works, combining formal simplification with emotional intensity.

This portrait of a dead sea dove captures the presence and dignity of the bird, Hartley's bold forms and restricted palette creating an image of still and solemn beauty.