Beach, St. Malo 1907

Maurice Prendergast made this watercolor painting, Beach, St. Malo. The translucent strokes of pigment, and the absorbent nature of the paper, give a lightness and immediacy to the finished work. Prendergast laid down each brushstroke with intention, to convey the lively atmosphere of a day at the beach. The painting is a mosaic of small touches, building up the forms of figures, parasols, and breaking waves. But beyond its apparent spontaneity, this approach also has a clear social resonance. The impressionistic style was favored at the time for capturing scenes of modern life, especially leisure and the newly emerging middle class. The very act of applying watercolor in this way – with its emphasis on quick perception and deft execution – seems to embody the spirit of a rapidly changing world. When we look at a painting like this, it’s easy to focus on the scene depicted. But attending to its materiality, making, and context, we get so much more in return.