Brooklyn Bridge—On the Bridge, No. 1 1944

John Marin made "Brooklyn Bridge—On the Bridge, No. 1" sometime around 1944. It's all done with these sharp, spiky lines, like he's trying to capture the raw energy of the city. I can imagine him out there, maybe in the cold, squinting at the bridge, trying to get it all down before the light changes. Those diagonal strokes? They're not just lines; they're the cables, the wind, the whole dang feeling of being suspended between two worlds. It reminds me a bit of the futurists, but Marin's got this uniquely American take. It's like he's saying, "Yeah, we're moving fast, but we're still gonna feel it, every bump and rattle." He's not just showing you a bridge; he's giving you a whole experience. And he did it with etching - wow! Painters - we're all just talking to each other across time, borrowing ideas, riffing off each other's energy. It's messy, it's complicated, but that's what makes it so damn exciting!