Loading Dock, River View c. 1900

John Marin created this sketch, "Loading Dock, River View," with graphite on paper. It's a study of an industrial landscape, likely made somewhere in the United States. Although the exact date of the work is unknown, the imagery here tells us a great deal about the social and economic conditions of the time. You can see the juxtaposition of nature and industry. Note the telegraph pole standing prominently in the foreground. It gives us a sense of the modernization and industrial expansion occurring in America at the turn of the century. The loading dock and sailing ships also speak to the rise of commerce and trade during this period. To fully understand this work, art historians would consult a range of materials, from period photographs to economic data. This contextual information helps us to better understand the relationship between art and the social forces that shape it.