John MarinAmerican, 1870–1953The Tree, Bare Island, Maine
Can I see it?
Not on view at present
Where is “The Tree, Bare Island, 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
For Marin, Maine pines became an iconic symbol of survival in a harsh world. Painting this scene on an island southeast of Stonington, he intentionally roughened the paper, wetting and blotting to blend greens and soften the wide brushstrokes. He drew thick charcoal lines to emphasize the contours of the tree, leaving the interior less defined. Alternating charcoal with watercolor and muddying the two media in an unorthodox manner, he pulled charcoal washes into colors for tone and dragged wet charcoal across wet paper to create rough black marks. Finally, he painted the internal border along the top of the sheet in watercolor and then rearticulated it in charcoal, playing with the tension between illusionism and flatness. The resulting image speaks of strength and the artist’s sense of equilibrium.
Art Institute of ChicagoCC BY 4.0
Details
- Accession number
- 1988.141.30
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)
