John Marin Woodblock Painting 1939 Original
As you can see signature, it’s John Marin. I found information that yes he did do some woodblock paintings. I have been told by a gallery owner yes this is a lithograph. You can easily see in ten time magnifying the raised paint and also the fine cracking throughout the painting. The paper painting is attached to an art board. I did a ph test to the mounting board and the test indicated the board was acid free. The question is what was the artist involvement in the creation of this piece. Did John Marin have his hands on this piece or was this made by someone else using the original block or possibly making new blocks. The cracking of the painting throughout should indicate it is an older piece. It’s odd that the total measurements are not a standard size, this piece would require to cut out a margin to mount in a standard frame, it should be 18” x 24”. This piece would not fit into a standard frame. Probably the artist cut this paper. Does that mean anything? Any more information needed let me know. This should be an important piece of art, If an original this should be quite valuable. Does have some surface damage. Top, right of center, you can see some impression and damage. Also some surface stressed areas. I did use a tiny paint brush with a dusting of pastel to make them disappear, they were very small. The paper is solidly fastened to the board with no indication of any lifting anywhere.
18.5” x 23.75”
Auction House
Yes
Hello, this item is a work on paper in the style of John Marin, dated 1939, showing a dynamic landscape created with fluid, expressionist brushwork. The medium is watercolor or gouache on paper, not a woodblock print or lithograph. The texture, visible cracking, and pigment handling confirm a hand-painted technique, not a printmaking process. The signature at the lower right reads Marin 39, but the signature style, pigment saturation, and compositional setup differ from authenticated works by John Marin from the 1930s, whose technique shows a much looser, more calligraphic line and a very distinct balance of white space. The board mounting and nonstandard dimensions also point to a later framing choice rather than Marin’s known practice.
The market for genuine John Marin watercolors is strong, with auction results often ranging from 20,000 to 200,000 USD depending on period and subject. However, this piece does not match the material, provenance, or stylistic standards of authenticated Marin works. It should be considered an attribution or follower work from the mid to late twentieth century. The condition shows age-related cracking and some surface stress, which does not reduce value significantly within this category, but confirms it is not a recent reproduction. The current market value for a follower-of-John-Marin watercolor of this quality stands in the range of 300 to 600 USD.
