John MarinAmerican, 1870–1953The Little Tree, Maine
Can I see it?
Not on view at present
Where is “The Little Tree, Maine” now? Collection: Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago. Not on view at present. Checked September 29, 2026.
Chicago, United States
It belongs to the collection, but is not on display at present.
- Checked
- In this state since
- Source
- The museum
About the work
Marin’s unique working process is already apparent in watercolors painted in Maine during his first summer there. Here he communicated his joy in topography and textures; the sense of airy sunshine is conjured by juxtapositions of warm and cool colors. Skipping the preliminary drawing in graphite, he used painted lines to describe contours and map out the relationship of forms. He worked slowly on a sheet of paper laid flat and allowed the pooled areas of pigment to dry thoroughly, preserving their clean edges to create a distinctly Japanist effect. This watercolor offers a portrait of a legendary weathered tree—a long-needled pitch pine—growing on a small island off West Point.
Art Institute of ChicagoCC BY 4.0
Details
- Accession number
- 1926.483
What it shows
In the catalog
Sources
- Art Institute of Chicago
- Image: Art Institute of Chicago — © the artist or rights holder
![Hudson Valley Gingerbread Cottage and Landscape with House [recto], John Marin](https://api.nga.gov/iiif/fada4ac9-595c-4c2a-80ef-218d7617ec70/full/!2400,2400/0/default.jpg)
![Untitled [New York City] [verso], John Marin](https://api.nga.gov/iiif/59762cc2-ec54-46f6-a86e-0a6e88291871/full/!2400,2400/0/default.jpg)
![Landscape with Disstant Mountains [verso], John Marin](https://api.nga.gov/iiif/a8bf3654-f515-4618-9a78-783afaf4fca1/full/!2400,2400/0/default.jpg)
