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"Lobster on Black Background (1940–1941)" by Marsden Hartley is a striking and memorable work that exemplifies the artist's late-career focus on regional and symbolic subjects. The painting features a vibrant red lobster, rendered with bold, almost expressionistic brushstrokes, set against a deep, impenetrable black background. This stark contrast heightens the visual impact of the lobster, giving it a luminous, almost surreal quality.

Close-up Description:
- The lobster is painted in an array of red hues, with accents of orange and hints of pink, which capture the natural variegations of a lobster's shell.
- Its claws are raised, suggesting both a defensive and dynamic posture, which imbues the painting with a sense of movement and vitality.
- The texture of the lobster’s shell is rendered through meticulous brushwork, which contrasts with the smooth, unmodulated black background.
- The painting lacks any extraneous detail or background elements, focusing the viewer’s attention entirely on the central subject.

Context and Significance:
- The painting was completed during Hartley's later years, a period when he returned to his native Maine and drew inspiration from its rugged landscapes, maritime culture, and local wildlife.
- "Lobster on Black Background" showcases Hartley's exploration of regional American themes, reflecting his desire to create an indigenous American art form that was deeply rooted in the specificities of place.

Artistic Movements and Career:
- Marsden Hartley is often associated with the American Modernist movement, and his style evolved significantly throughout his career.
- Early on, he was influenced by Post-Impressionism and German Expressionism, during his time in Europe.
- His later works, including "Lobster on Black Background," reveal a return to simpler, more direct forms and a focus on Americana, which aligns with the regionalist trends in American art of the 1930s and 1940s.
- This painting reflects Hartley's penchant for combining elements of still life with a modernist sensibility, characterized by a strong use of color and form.

Current Location:
- The original "Lobster on Black Background" (1940–1941) is part of the collection at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. The museum holds an extensive collection of Hartley's works and provides valuable context for understanding his artistic evolution.

Noteworthy Details:
- The black background serves as a dramatic foil to the vividly colored lobster, a technique Hartley used to enhance the emotional intensity and visual clarity of his main subject.
- Critics have noted the almost emblematic quality of the lobster, suggesting it represents more than just a marine creature but perhaps an icon of New England life and resilience.
- This painting is often cited as an excellent example of Hartley’s mature style, where he successfully combines his modernist heritage with a deep personal connection to the subject matter of his native surroundings.

Through "Lobster on Black Background," Marsden Hartley vividly captures both the unique character of a specific subject and the broader cultural ethos of his time, making it a significant piece in his body of work and in American art history.