The Cove 1923

Maurice Prendergast painted this watercolor, entitled The Cove, with no known date. It depicts a group of figures relaxing on a rocky outcrop in a harbor. Prendergast was an American post-impressionist painter, working in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. During this period, the art world was becoming increasingly professionalized with more art schools and institutions. The subject matter of leisure activities suggests the rise of a middle class with disposable income and free time. These figures look relaxed and carefree, enjoying the beach and the harbor, but they also stand as a symbol of a new social order where pleasure and leisure are becoming more accessible to wider segments of society. By studying the social and economic history of America during the late 19th and early 20th centuries, historians can better understand the cultural context in which paintings like this were created and displayed.