El Santo
Frame: 43 1/2 x 39 1/2 in. (110.5 x 100.3 cm)
Text Entries
Elizabeth McCausland’s Marsden Hartley catalogue raisonné papers at the Archives of American Art includes a letter from the School of American Research, Museum of New Mexico, dated May 23, 1945 and referring to Dr. Edgar Hewitt, Director of the Museum and curator Berta van Stone. See attached image of that document which can be found online at: https://www.aaa.si.edu/collections/elizabeth-mccausland-papers-7839/subseries-6-2/box-14-folder-14, frames 2-3.
This document states: Letter from Sch. of Amer. Research, Museum of New Mexico, May 23, 1945: "... I have talked with Dr. Edgar Hewitt, Director of the Museum and curator Berta Van Stone, Curator of art for a number of years, about the painting "El Santo." Both of them are sure that Marsden Hartley himself gave the picture to the School of American Research, and not "a friend," as Miss Jones evidently told you. According to Mrs. Van Stone, the painting was given to the School of American Research during 1918 or 1919..."
Prior to this information, which was received in 2023, the painting had variously been credited as Gift of a Friend", "Anonymous Gift from a Friend of Southwest Art" and "Anonymous Gift of a friend of Southwest Art." All credits list 1919 as the date of donation.