Earth's Forms, Delaware River

John Marin (1870-1953) was one of the masters of American watercolor painting in the early years of the twentieth century. He studied in Europe from 1905-1911, where he was exposed to the watercolors of Cezanne. The dynamic cubism of Robert Delaunay and the Futurists also influenced his bold style. Returning to the United States, he worked in various locations on the East Coast. He is well known for his expressionistic Maine landscapes and his exuberant views of New York City. Although his compositions are rooted in the abstract, they never lose touch with the realistic subject matter on which they are based. In this work, Marin offers his unique interpretation of the Delaware River, subject matter familiar to many previous generations of American landscape painters.