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The Tree, Bare Island, Maine

A work made of watercolor with blotting, wiping, and touches of scraping, and charcoal, on moderately thick, moderately textured, off white wove paper (right and lower edges trimmed).
© 2018 Estate of John Marin / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York

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  • A work made of watercolor with blotting, wiping, and touches of scraping, and charcoal, on moderately thick, moderately textured, off white wove paper (right and lower edges trimmed).

Date:

1922

Artist:

John Marin
American, 1870-1953

About this artwork

For Marin, Maine pines became an iconic symbol of survival in a harsh world. Painting this scene on an island southeast of Stonington, he intentionally roughened the paper, wetting and blotting to blend greens and soften the wide brushstrokes. He drew thick charcoal lines to emphasize the contours of the tree, leaving the interior less defined. Alternating charcoal with watercolor and muddying the two media in an unorthodox manner, he pulled charcoal washes into colors for tone and dragged wet charcoal across wet paper to create rough black marks. Finally, he painted the internal border along the top of the sheet in watercolor and then rearticulated it in charcoal, playing with the tension between illusionism and flatness. The resulting image speaks of strength and the artist’s sense of equilibrium.

Status

Currently Off View

Department

Prints and Drawings

Artist

John Marin

Title

The Tree, Bare Island, Maine

Place

United States (Artist's nationality:)

Date  Dates are not always precisely known, but the Art Institute strives to present this information as consistently and legibly as possible. Dates may be represented as a range that spans decades, centuries, dynasties, or periods and may include qualifiers such as c. (circa) or BCE.

Made 1922

Medium

Watercolor with blotting, wiping, and touches of scraping, and charcoal, on moderately thick, moderately textured, off white wove paper (right and lower edges trimmed)

Dimensions

43.5 × 52 cm (17 3/16 × 20 1/2 in.)

Credit Line

Gift of Mary and Leigh Block

Reference Number

1988.141.30

Copyright

© 2018 Estate of John Marin / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York

Extended information about this artwork

Object information is a work in progress and may be updated as new research findings emerge. To help improve this record, please email . Information about image downloads and licensing is available here.

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