The Inlet 1913

Maurice Prendergast made this small oil painting called ‘The Inlet’ at some point in his career, but we can't know exactly when. The way Prendergast has dabbed and speckled the paint, it’s like he's capturing a fleeting moment. It’s like he’s trying to get down the light, the feeling of the breeze, more than the actual details of the figures. The surface of the painting is alive. Look closely, you can see all the different marks and colors bumping up against each other. Those warm reds and oranges of the figures against the cooler blues and greens of the sea are quite something. The figures become less important than the overall energy of the scene. I wonder if Prendergast knew the work of Pierre Bonnard? There's something similar in the way they both managed to convey a sense of intimacy and fleeting beauty, embracing the idea that a painting can be more about feeling than seeing.