Shack in the Meadowlands (verso) c. 1900

"Shack in the Meadowlands", a pencil drawing, was made by John Marin sometime in the first half of the 20th century. Marin, who spent much of his career in New York, here depicts a stark landscape outside the city. With quick, raw strokes, Marin captures a ramshackle building amidst unruly foliage, and an open, seemingly desolate horizon. Marin’s work during this period often reflects a tension between the burgeoning urban landscape and the desire for a simpler, rural existence. This drawing serves as a study for his watercolors; works on paper like this one are vital for understanding Marin’s process. "You can’t do anything without the object. It gives. It gives a great deal. And the artist is the one who knows how to take," Marin once said. Notice how the shack seems to sag, a visual metaphor perhaps, for the challenges faced by those living on the margins. The drawing’s starkness can evoke feelings of isolation, but there is also resilience in the rough strokes, an echo of the strength required to make a life in such an environment.