Low Tide 1897

Maurice Prendergast rendered this watercolor with great sensitivity, capturing a fashionable crowd strolling along a rocky shore. The parasols they carry offer a potent symbol, reminiscent of the protective veils and canopies seen in ancient rites, signifying a barrier against unseen forces. Consider how the parasol appears in myriad contexts: from royal processions to religious ceremonies. It’s no mere sunshade, but a marker of status, and a shield against the malign. We may recall the elaborate baldachins over sacred figures, the flabellae or fans once used to guard the Pope, all descended from the same impulse. In Prendergast’s hands, these parasols evoke a curious tension: these beachgoers may be seeking leisure, but there is a subtle implication that they are enacting a ritual as ancient as civilization itself: guarding against the unknown. This psychological dimension invites us to reflect on the human need for protection, security, and the recurring symbols that serve this primal urge.