Canal, Amsterdam

John Marin

American printmaker John Marin arrived in Europe in 1905, two years after Whistler's death and at the height of Whistler's popularity. Marin hope to derive some income by selling etchings, using Lalanne's book on etching to teach him the craft. A quick learner, Marin did this etching of a canal in Amsterdam in fall of 1906, his fourteenth etching.

Like fellow American Whistler, Marin focuses his attention on a small, intimate view of Amsterdam, rather than the tourist attractions that most artists concentrated on. The overall plate is wiped, leaving a thin film of ink which adds atmosphere to the composition.

Marin wrote to his father on October 10, 1906: "I am worrying over a lot of etchings that I made in Amsterdam...I should have bitten them on the spot but I was afraid of carrying acid about with me. However, with corrections here and there, hammering out, etc., I may have half a dozen good ones out of the dozen."