Art Institute of Chicago

Spring Rains

John Marin

1918

Attribution

John Marin American, 1870-1953

Medium

Watercolor with blotting and wiping, and with charcoal, on thick, moderately textured, ivory wove paper (lower and left edges trimmed), in original frame

Physical dimensions

42 × 49.6 cm (16 9/16 × 19 9/16 in.)

Credit line

Alfred Stieglitz Collection

From the museum

This work, painted in Rowe, Massachusetts, demonstrates how Marin persevered with his unorthodox watercolor practice, quickly becoming confident in manipulating charcoal with watercolor washes. The black media allowed him to emphasize selected contours and pick out the tiny forms nestled in the distant landscape. When the charcoal came into contact with particularly wet applications of watercolor, it diffused, producing elegant, spontaneous effects that recall the fluidity of his Tyrolean watercolors. Here Marin did away with hard lines; the resulting softness communicates a compelling sensation of lush dampness, even conjuring the heady organic scent brought about by spring showers.

Description: Art Institute of Chicago · CC BY 4.0