Gloucester Park 1923

Maurice Prendergast made this watercolor, Gloucester Park, with thin washes of paint that feel fresh and alive. It’s all about the joy of seeing, and the joy of making! The way Prendergast uses color and light is what really grabs me. Look at how he layers the colors – transparent washes of blue, green, and lavender create a sense of depth and atmosphere. The paint is so thin you can see the paper underneath, which gives the whole thing a luminous quality. It’s like he’s trying to capture a fleeting moment. The surface is built up from discrete marks, little dots and dashes of color that activate the surface and conjure the effect of light on water. You can really see the influence of artists like Édouard Vuillard and Pierre Bonnard, those French guys who were all about capturing the fleeting moments of daily life! Prendergast reminds us that art is always a conversation, an ongoing exchange of ideas and influences.