Side Show 1894

Maurice Prendergast created this watercolor painting titled "Side Show." Watercolor is a fluid medium that lends itself well to capturing fleeting moments. Prendergast's light washes and quick, confident strokes evoke the bustling atmosphere of a turn-of-the-century sideshow. The blurred, undefined figures in the crowd suggest a sense of anonymity and collective experience. Look closely, and you can see the slight buckling of the paper, a testament to the water content of the paint and the immediacy of the artistic process. The subject matter itself speaks to the social context of the time. Sideshows were a popular form of entertainment for the working class, offering a momentary escape from the hardships of daily life. In its depiction of a popular entertainment, it reminds us that art can be found in everyday experiences, and that the materials and methods used to create it are just as important as the subject matter itself.