Untitled [verso] c. 1910

John Marin created this watercolor, entitled "Untitled [verso]", during a period of significant change in American art. Marin, born in 1870, lived through the rise of modernism. This piece, with its loose brushstrokes and ethereal quality, departs from traditional landscape painting. The overlaying, jagged lines add a layer of complexity, almost as if capturing the dynamism of a shifting world. Marin was part of a generation grappling with rapid industrialization and urbanization. His work reflects an emotional response to these changes, seeking new modes of expression. Marin himself once said, "The true artist must perforce go from time to time to the elemental big forms, Sky, Sea, Mountain, Plain." He was moved by the power of nature. His landscapes embody a personal and subjective experience rather than a straightforward representation. They stand as an emotional record of a transformative era.