Surf, Cohasset c. 1900 - 1905

Maurice Prendergast made this watercolor, *Surf, Cohasset*, with thin washes of color. I wonder what it was like for Prendergast to stand there with his paper and paints, capturing the fleeting scene of a day at the beach. The colors are bright and cheerful, full of blues, browns, and pinks. There's a real sense of movement in the way he's rendered the waves crashing against the rocks, like he was trying to capture the energy of the ocean itself. It's not about perfection. It's more about trying to pin down a feeling, a fleeting moment in time. The touches of color suggest the figures are enjoying a carefree day by the sea. The painting reminds me a bit of Bonnard, who also made intimate scenes of daily life. I see them both in a conversation about how to make painting from life. The light here suggests to me a dialogue between seeing and feeling.