In 1931 John Marin completed four views from the town green of New Castle, Delaware:
Overview
Entry
John Marin painted four views of buildings on the New Castle, Delaware, town green in 1931:
New Castle, founded in 1651, had a complex early history, changing names as it passed from the Netherlands to Sweden, to Great Britain. In 1704 New Castle became the capital of the colony of Delaware. Because the town’s historic architecture remained largely intact, it became a popular tourist site at the height of the Colonial Revival during the early 1920s.
Marin depicted buildings that border the New Castle Green, a focal point of town life. In painting View from the Green, Marin faced the town hall (built in 1823), the Sheriff’s House (partially visible, built in 1857), and the back of the courthouse (built in 1732).
In Third Street, New Castle, Delaware, Marin painted seven historic homes lining Third Street. Specific houses are recognizable because he included accurate architectural details. Silsbee’s Alley, through which a house on Fourth Street is visible, appears slightly to the left of the center of the composition. The tall brick house to the right of the alley is the Gemmill House, built around 1801. The building to the left of the alley is Rodney House, built in 1831.
Immanuel Church, New Castle, Delaware: Close View and Distant View represent one of the town’s most prominent colonial buildings and tourist attractions
In the less detailed Distant View, the entire Immanuel Church is seen from the southwest. Marin excluded the old two-story Academy building that stands at the northwest corner of the New Castle Green, which would have competed with the view of the church. The steeple, topped with a delicate cross in the full view, is dramatically framed by Marin’s treatment of the sky in triangular bands of blue.
The artist’s interest in historic ecclesiastic architecture began during his extended stay in Europe between 1905 and 1911 and endured throughout his career. Marin made etchings, drawings, and watercolors of Trinity Church in lower Manhattan (the National Gallery owns
Marin’s four views of New Castle’s historic center, painted quickly with active brushwork, waver between accuracy and modernism. He took interest in specific sites and details, such as particular houses on Third Street, the church clock, and the cupolas on the town hall and courthouse. His early training in architecture—he worked for six years as an architect before becoming an artist—may explain his eye for these aspects. In these four paintings, Marin took his greatest liberties with nature, experimenting with trees and sky to abstract and dramatize the scenes.
Robert Torchia
July 24, 2024
Inscription
lower right: Marin 31; upper left reverse: (Houses and Trees) 1931 / 14 x 17 3/4 SR#172[the "172" crossed out"] 31.11; upper right reverse: NBM 2/21/84
Provenance
The artist [1870-1953]; his estate; by inheritance to his son, John C. Marin, Jr. [1914-1988], Cape Split, Maine; gift 1986 to NGA.
Technical Summary
The painting is on a solid support, which has been constructed by the artist by stretching a piece of prepared canvas over cardboard.
Michael Swicklik
July 24, 2024
Bibliography
- 1970
- Reich, Sheldon. John Marin: A Stylistic Analysis and Catalogue Raisonné. Tucson, 1970: no. 31.11.
- 1992
- American Paintings: An Illustrated Catalogue. National Gallery of Art, Washington, 1992: 231, repro.
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