Sold for $9,450
According to Sheldon Reich's catalogue raisonné on the artist, John Marin Jr. stated that this picture has been incorrectly dated 1919 and titled Deer Isle Stonington Maine. In reality, he notes, it was done in Castorland in 1913.
Provenance:
Estate of the Artist
Marlborough Gallery, New York
Vandervelde McKinney Gallery, New York
Acquired from the above by the present owners, 1980
Literature:
Sheldon Reich, John Marin: A Stylistic Analysis and Catalogue Raisonné, Tucson, 1970, Volume II, no. 13.6, p. 374
Lot note:
What I attempt to do in my own work is to put down objects – a kind of mind-picture in suspended motion – so that when one of my pictures is called abstract it is only because I leave it to the imagination to supply whether what I have painted is a gull, or a ship, or a person.
(Dorothy Norman, “John Marin,” College Art Journal, 14:4, pp. 320-331)
John Marin’s modern watercolors take inspiration from nature but are not intended to faithfully portray specific views. His true goal was to explore color, shape, and vision, making him a true modernist who played with the limits of watercolor as a medium. As a result, his watercolors are abstract, but always maintain a sense of the subject matter. Marin traveled throughout the Northeast of the United States, including trips to Castorland, in upstate New York. The present watercolor highlights the first tree in a grove to change leaf color, marking the beginning of autumn. Marin crafts the trees loosely to reduce the grove to patches of color that are contained with strong, broad strokes. This treatment of the subject matter allows for his hallmark abstraction and individual interpretations of the striking scene.
Condition reports are available upon request. All lots are sold “as is,” in the condition they are in at the time of the auction. The physical condition of lots can vary due to age, normal wear and tear, previous damage, and restoration. Prospective buyers are strongly advised to inspect a lot personally or through a knowledgeable representative prior to bidding. The absence of any reference to the condition of a lot does not imply that the lot is in perfect condition or completely free from wear and tear, imperfections, or the effects of aging. Prospective buyers must review and agree to the Conditions of Sale before participating in an auction, and it is the responsibility of the buyer to ensure that they have requested, received and considered any condition report.