88

JOHN MARIN

American, 1870-1953

"Deer Isle, Maine", 1923

watercolor on Arches paper
signed lower right "Marin 23", with Arches watermark visible lower right
14 x 21 1/2 inches (sight)

  • Provenance: Edward Halper, Brooklyn, New York; Private Collection
  • Literature: Sheldon Reich, "John Marin: Part II: Catalogue Raisonne", (Tucson, Arizona: The University of Arizona Press, 1970), p. 518, cat. no. 23.14.

    John Marin was born in Rutherford, New Jersey in 1870. His mother died shortly after he was born and he was raised by his relatives in Weehawken – right across the Hudson from New York City. Marin attended the Stevens Institute of Technology for one year and worked as an professional architect for six years before deciding to pursue a career as an artist.

    From 1899-1901 he studied at the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts where he met Arthur Beecher Carles, a lifelong friend. He also studied at the Art Students League in New York. Like many artists of the period, Marin went to Paris to study at the Academie Julian. He returned to New York in 1909 influenced by Cezanne and the avant garde Fauvist and Cubist movements.

    Photographer Edward Steichen had seen Marin's works at the Salon d'Automne in 1909 and introduced him to Alfred Stieglitz who was also in Paris. Marin's work impressed Stieglitz, a noted American photographer and art dealer, who would later host Marin's first exhibition at his New York gallery known as "291." Stieglitz became an important advocate for Marin's work and exhibited his works more than any other artist except Georgia O'Keeffe.

    By the early 1910s Marin had established himself in New York City and traveled regularly through New York state and New England. His style matured and he adapted the avant-garde European ideas that had impressed him into his own distinctive style. In 1912 Marin married and settled with his new family in Cliffside, New Jersey. In 1914, the couple made their first trip to Maine. Marin found a well of inspiration in Maine and would return annually.

    Marin typically painted en plein air, or outdoors, successfully capturing the fleeting atmosphere, changing water and moving light. He writes in a letter from Small Point, Maine, "Outdoor painting as such is just a Job–to get ahead down what's ahead of you—water you paint the way water moves—Rocks and soil you paint the way they were worked for their formation—Trees you paint the way trees grow. If you are more or less successful these paintings will look pretty well indoors for they have a certain rugged strength which will carry them off in a room–though they seemingly bear no relationship to the room."

    Tags: works on paper, modern / contemporary, Maine, landscape, 20th century
  • Condition: overall excellent condition; not examined out of the frame

    We are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Shannon’s is merely a subjective qualified opinion. Frames on all paintings are sold "As Is". Frames may need some conservation. 
    NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD “AS IS” IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE. 

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April 27, 2023 6:00 PM EDT
Milford, CT, US

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