Circus Scene
c. 1950
Image not available — this artwork is under copyright
View on museum website →Medium
black chalk and watercolor on wove paper
Dimensions
overall: 22.6 x 30.1 cm (8 7/8 x 11 7/8 in.)
Classification
Drawing
Department
CG-W
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Gift of John Marin, Jr.
Accession Number
1986.54.163.n
Art Historical Context
John Marin’s *Circus Scene* (c. 1950) captures the lively energy of a performance through fluid lines and translucent color. Executed in black chalk and watercolor on paper, the work exemplifies Marin’s lifelong preference for spontaneous, expressive media that allow quick gestures and layered washes. At just under nine by twelve inches, the intimate scale invites close viewing, encouraging visitors to follow the artist’s rhythmic marks as they suggest motion and spectacle. By 1950 Marin had long been recognized as a leading figure in American modernism, associated with the Stieglitz circle a...
About the Artist
John Marin
John Marin (1870-1953) was a pioneering American modernist known for his dynamic watercolors and oils of the Maine coast and New York City. A late bloomer who didn't commit to art until nearly 30, Marin developed a distinctive style combining European modernism with American subjects, capturing the energy of skyscrapers and the elemental power of the sea through fractured planes, vibrant color, an...