C. 1937

64.8″ w x 46.9″ h
Oil on canvas

Wherefore War

Image credit: Top – UMMA Exchange | Bottom – Collection of Jim Linderman – Dull Tool Dim Bulb

Wherefore War was gifted to the University of Michigan Museum of Art (UMMA) from the family of Marian Spore Bush. Marian graduated from dentistry school at U of M in 1899. This large work features a dark, ominous bird-like creature rising above the chaos and death. Marian often painted fantastical or eerie birds in many of her works. The ground is littered with skulls. Leading up to the start of World War II, her works took on a somber and dark tone, painted in muted colors of black, white, and beige.