The Seashore c. 1918 - 1923

Maurice Prendergast made this painting, *The Seashore*, with oil on canvas, using soft pastel tones to describe the scene. The charm of Prendergast lies in his understanding of artmaking as a process of accumulation. His paintings feel like they grew organically from the surface. The texture of the painting is really something – it’s built up, dab after dab, like mosaic tiles, creating this shimmering effect. Look at the way he renders the figures, each a collection of colourful strokes that somehow coalesce into people enjoying a day at the beach. The paint is neither thick nor thin but just right, each touch deliberate yet playful. The way he uses colour, those unexpected juxtapositions of pinks and blues, suggests Impressionism, but with a twist. Prendergast reminds me of Pierre Bonnard, both capturing fleeting moments with a similar intimacy and subjective lens. In the end, art isn’t about answers, it’s about embracing the questions, the ambiguities, and the sheer joy of seeing.