The Holiday (also known as Figures by the Sea or Promenade by the Sea) 1910

Maurice Prendergast, sometime in the late 19th, early 20th century, made this painting with visible brushstrokes of blues, greens, pinks, and browns. Imagine Prendergast, standing before the canvas, trying to capture the energy of a summer day with crowds of people. What's interesting is the almost mosaic-like quality of the paint application. Each touch of color feels deliberate. You get the sense of the light hitting the water, and the dappled sunlight playing on the figures and foliage. There is an energy in the way the colors vibrate next to each other, creating a sense of liveliness and joy. The painting reminds me of the pointillist works of Seurat and Signac, but with a more relaxed, informal vibe. He seemed more interested in capturing a feeling or sensation than in rendering a photographic likeness. The figures are just kind of blobs, which reminds me of someone like Bonnard. All of these artists are in a conversation with each other across time. They are constantly inspiring each other's creativity. Painting really is a form of embodied expression.