Autumn in New England 1913

Maurice Prendergast made this watercolor, Autumn in New England, on what feels like a bright but breezy day. His dabs and dashes of color give the impression that he built up the image slowly, allowing each mark to react to the last. I love how the blues and greens in the foreground sort of vibrate against the yellows and oranges in the trees. There’s a lovely looseness to the way he layered the washes of color, creating a sense of depth and movement, it feels spontaneous but also controlled. Zooming in on the lower-left corner, you can see the individual strokes, each one a small decision that adds up to the whole. It's like he's showing you how he sees, not just what he sees. Prendergast reminds me a bit of Bonnard, in the way they both capture the fleeting beauty of everyday life. And like Bonnard, Prendergast is all about embracing the messiness and uncertainty of painting.