View Along New England Coast c. 1920 - 1923

Maurice Prendergast made this watercolor, "View Along New England Coast", sometime in the early 20th century. Look at the way he daubs the paint. It's almost like he's building the scene out of mosaic tiles, each dab of color a little decision, a step in the process. The beach is bustling with figures, but Prendergast doesn't give us detail, he gives us feeling. The texture of the paper shows through in places, reminding us of the materiality of the artwork. He uses thin layers of color, transparent and light, like the sun reflecting off the water. It’s the kind of watercolor that can make you want to grab a brush, and try this yourself. Check out the way he’s painted the figures, they’re more felt than seen, and this makes me think of how Pierre Bonnard, a post-impressionist, was working around the same time. With his paintings of domestic interiors, he’s making the mundane feel magical. Art is like a conversation across time, where everyone riffs off each other.