Building

John Marin's Building (1910) is a watercolor with re-wetting and blotting on lightweight, slightly textured, off-white wove paper, pieced. Marin (1870-1953) was one of the most original American watercolorists of the early 20th century, known for his dynamic, expressive depictions of the urban landscape. This early watercolor from 1910 shows a building, perhaps in New York or another American city, rendered with a freedom and energy that distinguishes Marin's work. The watercolor technique is experimental: Marin used re-wetting and blotting to create varied textures and effects, building the forms of the building through layers of translucent color. The pieced paper suggests that the work was assembled from multiple sheets. The composition is dynamic, the building captured not as a static structure but as a living, energetic presence. Marin's watercolors of buildings and cityscapes were revolutionary in their time, bringing an expressive freedom to architectural subjects that had previously been treated with more documentary precision.

Marin was one of the most innovative American watercolorists of the 20th century, influencing the development of American modernism through his dynamic, expressive landscapes and cityscapes.

This watercolor of a building captures the energy and dynamism of urban architecture, Marin's experimental technique of re-wetting and blotting creating a surface of extraordinary vitality.