A fine impression with good margins published by Associated American Artists.

A fine impression of this very popular image with full margins (smaller on top and bottom) published by Associated American Artists.

“If it brings to me a harmonious sensation…” Walkowitz once said, “…I then try to find the concrete elements that are likely to record the sensation in visual forms.”

This philosophy is made visible through 'Abstract #2'. Energised by diagonal lines intersecting each other and leading primarily to the top right or bottom left corner, the work contains a strong visual harmony. Walkowitz plays with a delicate balance of lines and circles creating an enticingly composed piece. Much like other influential modernist artists, such as Arthur Dove and Kandinsky, Walkowitz was influenced by music, drawn in by its emotionally transformative powers and entrancing rhythms.

This quaint and reflective work features delicate and inky lines depicting a farmhouse nestled within a cool-toned watercolour landscape. Muted red brick, almost silver bluish greys, and earthy brownish greens blend sensitively, forming an atmospheric scene under a pale overcast sky. The liberal application of paint allows colours to meld and dance, with black and dark umber bleeding into one another, creating abstracted rural shapes.

In the 1930s, Dove's artistic direction shifted towards portraying sites in and around his birthplace, Geneva, New York. Returning in 1933 after his mother's death, Dove and his wife, artist Helen Torr, moved into a small farmhouse on the family land to settle her estate. The title ‘The Other Farm’ situates this abstracted farm in relation to another, the farmhouse where he grew up. ‘Other’ evokes a mysterious feeling, suggesting that Dove is stepping outside tradition and discovering his own philosophy for living and interacting with the landscape. This was an important and tricky time for Dove. His proximity to the family home allowed for meditation, and during this period, he created some of his best works. While he was close with his mother and she encouraged him artistically, his father did not approve of his commitment to being an artist. In this sense, the term ‘Other’ may highlight Dove's outsider status within his middle-class family.

Dove's connection to nature shines through in this work. Fine gestural strokes of ink separate the farmhouse from the land, emphasising the fluid interaction between structure and environment. Georgia O’Keeffe once remarked that Dove was “the only American painter who is of the earth.” This comment underscores his profound and spiritual bond with the natural world, which is evident within the work.

A very rare and unique John Marin watercolour. This work was exhibited at the Whitney Museum of American Art through retrospectives of the great American artist John Marin.

What's fascinating about this work, is that there is a newly discovered full image on the reverse of the main work (please see images included). It has been framed beautifully by Darbyshires with a window at the back, so that you can see the full image without taking the work out of the frame.

Constantly being re-evaluated for his importance within American art, Marin's name is constantly mentioned among the greats of early 20th Century painting.