Bathers 1915

Maurice Prendergast made 'Bathers' with oil on canvas. Look at the way the painting is put together, almost like a mosaic of colour. You can see the brushstrokes working in tandem to build the forms and shapes within the work. The colour sings. What might Prendergast have been thinking as he daubed and dragged the paint across the canvas? It feels fresh and immediate, like it’s been knocked out in one sitting. There's a real sense of joy in this painting. And it feels like Prendergast is using paint not just to describe the scene but to almost revel in its physicality; juicy strokes of blues and greens and reds laid down with confidence and panache. He’s really thinking about what paint can do. I can imagine the legacy of Impressionism, combined with his own personal vision, must have really spurred him on. It's paintings like this that remind you of the ongoing conversation between artists.