The Seashore c. 1918 - 1923

Maurice Prendergast made this painting, 'The Seashore', layering strokes of pastels and dabs of oil, building up a tapestry of textures and tones. I can imagine him outside, squinting in the sun, trying to capture the shimmer of light on the water, the soft swell of the clouds. Look at how he’s built the image up—the sky is a kind of scumble, and the figures are present in a few deft strokes of the brush. What were his thoughts as he built up the figures? The paint is laid on with a slightly dry brush, giving the surface a kind of crumbly, matte feel. It reminds me of Vuillard, but the colour choices are more idiosyncratic. These pinks, reds and blues! The rocks are rendered in a darker hue, which gives the composition weight and stability. Painting is a conversation. We painters learn from each other, steal from each other. Prendergast has obviously looked long and hard at the Impressionists and Post-Impressionists but, here, he has his own thing going on!