The Bathing Cove 1918

Maurice Prendergast made The Bathing Cove, a 68 by 66 cm painting, with oil on canvas. This painting feels like a memory of a party at the beach. I can feel the sun on my face and hear the water lapping the shore. Prendergast uses thick, juicy brushstrokes, like dollops of color, that create a feeling of movement and energy. The composition feels loose and improvisational. I can imagine him standing there, squinting in the sunlight, trying to capture the fleeting moment. It's like he's saying, "Okay, here's a little bit of blue for the sky, a little bit of green for the trees, and a whole bunch of people having fun." It is the work of someone interested in the materiality of paint and the ways color and texture can create a sense of atmosphere. The bathing cove evokes a feeling of joy and spontaneity. It speaks to a legacy of artists playing with form and color, pushing the boundaries of what painting can be.