Cove, Maine c. 1907 - 1910

Editor: Here we have Maurice Prendergast's "Cove, Maine," likely painted between 1907 and 1910 using oil on canvas. The scene is lively, bursting with color, but also feels…removed, distant, like a fleeting memory. What do you see in this piece? Curator: It strikes me as a fascinating snapshot of leisure and privilege at the turn of the century. Think about who had access to such scenes, to the coast of Maine as a retreat. Can you see how Prendergast subtly hints at social stratification through his composition? Editor: Social stratification? I see figures, but I wouldn't say they necessarily look wealthy or poor. Curator: Consider the gaze implied in the painting: we are positioned looking *down* at the figures from behind the trees and foliage, who themselves are looking *out* onto a serene scene. The rough, dabbed brushstrokes seem to flatten the figures, as though rendering them part of the landscape, consumed by the land. Think about the indigenous populations that had been forcibly removed from these same coastal areas; doesn't the work evoke questions about land ownership, historical dispossession, and who is ultimately afforded the space to "play" in such "natural" settings? Editor: Wow, I never would have thought about it that way. It's definitely more than just a pretty landscape, then. Curator: Exactly! By looking through the lens of history, and engaging with current conversations around class and equity, we can tease out latent sociopolitical dimensions from even the most seemingly innocuous art. It pushes us to engage critically with all artworks! Editor: I will definitely remember this historical approach for other works. Thank you! Curator: A pleasure! There is always something new to find when you consider an artwork's historical, political, and social implications.