Cinerarias and Fruit 1912

Maurice Prendergast made this oil painting on canvas, called ‘Cinerarias and Fruit’, sometime in the early twentieth century. Prendergast was an American post-impressionist who embraced the expressive color and brushwork of modern European painting, and this still life is an example of that. But we might also consider how it departs from European tradition. The domestic subject matter and flattened perspective reflect the democratizing impulse of modern art, which sought to break down the traditional hierarchies of academic painting. As we consider the rise of museums like the Whitney, where this painting now resides, we can understand how still life painting played a role in constructing an idea of national identity in American art. If we want to understand it better, we can consult exhibition catalogues, reviews, and the artist’s personal papers to fully understand its place in cultural history.