Lower Manhattan from the River, No. 1

John Marin

1921 · Watercolor, charcoal, and graphite on paper · Modern and Contemporary Art

Marin, who briefly studied architecture, painted this watercolor a year after moving to Cliffside, New Jersey. Viewed from across the river, the skyline of Lower Manhattan rises triumphantly. Marin’s penchant for vivid colors and use of heavy charcoal strokes to accentuate the waves and articulate the gridded high-rises create a composition pulsing with the life of the city. One critic described Marin as an urban visionary, "Other artists have seen the surfaces of New York; but Marin sees New York itself, rearing monstrous pointed heads into a smiling sky . . . the mechanical, swirling, vibrant life of the city."

Artist

John Marin

Date

1921

Medium

Watercolor, charcoal, and graphite on paper

Department

Modern and Contemporary Art

Credit line

Alfred Stieglitz Collection, 1949