Rising Tide, St. Malo 1907 - 1909

"Rising Tide, St. Malo" was painted in watercolor by Maurice Prendergast. Look at the way he drops these juicy little dots of color onto the paper. The way the light filters through the water, how the colors bloom! I find myself drawn to the large wall on the right, constructed with small rectangles of paint that represent stones. Each is made up of a mix of muted blues, browns, and greens. There are more colors there than you initially realize, each applied with an economical directness. This approach to mark making gives the wall a sense of solidity but also vibrates with light. It’s not about replicating the real, but building an equivalent through color and shape. This piece feels like a conversation with painters like Bonnard, who also shared a similar interest in the intimate and everyday aspects of life. With "Rising Tide", Prendergast shows us that painting isn't about capturing a fixed reality, but about exploring a world of possibilities.