The Balloon 1901

Maurice Prendergast painted "The Balloon" in watercolor, and look at how he’s not afraid to let the white of the paper shine through. That's the guts of the process right there, leaving room for the unexpected. Now, check out the crowd on the beach. Each figure is made up of these quick, dab-like strokes of color, kind of like confetti, but it’s not just about depicting people. It's about the texture of the scene, the buzz of a crowded summer day. The paint is thin, almost transparent in places, which gives the whole scene a light, airy feel. Then, there’s that big brown balloon, the focal point, with these rectangular facets in the paint, like a wonky patchwork quilt. Prendergast’s watercolors remind me a little bit of Bonnard - that same kind of playful looseness, like they’re just having a conversation with the paint, and we get to eavesdrop. It’s this embracing of ambiguity, this openness to multiple readings, that makes art so alive.