Marsden Hartley (1877–1943) was an American Modernist painter celebrated for his bold use of color, abstraction, and expressive landscapes that blend personal symbolism with national identity. Mount Katahdin, Snow Storm (1942) exemplifies Hartley’s late style, depicting Maine’s iconic peak shrouded in the turbulence of a winter storm. The composition conveys both the physical grandeur of the mountain and the psychological intensity of the natural scene, reflecting Hartley’s deep engagement with the rugged landscapes of his native region.

Executed in oil on a hardboard, the work combines vigorous brushwork with a refined sense of structure, creating a dynamic interplay between abstraction and representation. The snow-laden summit and storm-filled sky evoke both the sublime and the elemental forces of nature, capturing Hartley’s fascination with the spiritual and emotional resonance of the American wilderness. Hartley’s landscapes, including Mount Katahdin, Snow Storm, have been widely celebrated for their fusion of modernist abstraction with a distinctly American vision.

His works are held in major collections, including the Museum of Modern Art (New York), the Metropolitan Museum of Art (New York), and the National Gallery of Art (Washington, D.C.), securing his legacy as one of the defining figures of early 20th-century American painting.