Sand Dunes, Wallace Head, Maine

Sand Dunes, Wallace Head, Maine — John Marin. 1915.

Medium: Watercolor over graphite on thick wove paper. Dimensions: Sheet: 41.8 x 49.2 cm (16 7/16 x 19 3/8 in.).

Collection record: The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland. Museum connection according to this source; current display unverified.

John Marin worked prolifically in watercolor, producing almost 2500 works in the medium during his long career. He was known for fragmented landscapes that convey a sense of energy and movement. An avid outdoorsman, Marin frequently depicted Maine, which he regularly visited beginning during the summer of 1914. This drawing is one of dozens that Marin made during 1915 while staying in Small Point. The composition veers toward abstraction, with areas of the paper left unpainted, layers of wash outlining dunes in the foreground, and schematically-rendered fir trees along the horizon. Marin worked creatively with watercolor, suggesting rough texture with agitated brush strokes and scribbled marks, translating his experience of nature to the viewer.

Source: official collection record. Metadata selected and normalized by Artline from the source export, accessed 10 September 2026; no museum endorsement. Reproduction rights are separate.