Crepuscule (also known as Along the Shore or Beach) 1920

Maurice Prendergast made this painting, Crepuscule, probably in the early 1900s, with oil on canvas, and what strikes me first are the dabs. It's so interesting how little dots, like crumbs of color, can build a whole world. Up close, it’s just a collection of marks, a mosaic even, but step back and suddenly you're on a beach, watching people, feeling the sun. The paint is applied pretty thickly, you can almost feel the texture. Notice the way he uses blues and purples in the shadows, then pops of bright yellow and orange to catch the light. It's like he's building the scene out of pure color, and it's like the way Bonnard uses colour and light to create an atmosphere of fleeting pleasure. It’s like he’s capturing a moment, but also the feeling of a moment, that hazy, lazy feeling of a summer day. Prendergast invites us to see not just with our eyes, but with our whole bodies.