Brooklyn Bridge (Study for "On the Bridge") 1944

John Marin drew "Brooklyn Bridge (Study for 'On the Bridge')" using graphite on paper. It’s all about the process here, isn’t it? The visible, searching marks show how Marin worked out his ideas, capturing the bridge’s energy not just its form. Graphite gives the drawing a tonal range. Look at the smudgy, soft shadows versus the sharp, defined lines. It’s like he’s mapping out a feeling as much as a structure. Notice that one bold stroke, slashing across the upper right – it’s almost like a defiant gesture, adding a sense of urgency and movement to the static architecture. Marin's approach makes me think of the Futurists, who were all about capturing speed and dynamism. But where they went for a kind of machine-like precision, Marin keeps it personal, heartfelt. Art isn't about perfect rendering. It's about feeling and showing how we see, in all its messy glory.