Assisi 1899

Assisi is a watercolor on paper, made by Maurice Prendergast. Prendergast, a post-impressionist American artist, often captured scenes of leisure and public life. In this piece, the architecture of Assisi provides a backdrop for the figures strolling in the foreground. Consider the late 19th and early 20th centuries, when travel became more accessible to the middle class, allowing artists like Prendergast to explore European locales. The figures in the foreground appear gendered, walking along the Italian hillside in an almost dreamlike vision. The loose brushstrokes create a sense of movement, as if we’re catching a fleeting moment. The light palette infuses the scene with a sense of nostalgia, almost reminiscent of a memory. The clothing of the figures is not overly ornate, which seems to suggest the figures in the painting are not members of high society. Prendergast’s Assisi invites reflection on the relationships between place, memory, and identity.