The Inlet 1913

Maurice Prendergast made this oil painting on canvas called ‘The Inlet’ using stippled brushstrokes and bright colors. Imagine Prendergast outside with his supplies, trying to capture the light as it flickers across the water. He’s painting the dappled sunlight and shadow of the trees, and people relaxing. I can imagine him working quickly, trying to capture the scene before the light changes. He’s translating what he sees in front of him, into these tiny dabs of color. I see all these different colors mixing in my eye – blues, greens, yellows, all laid down side-by-side. Look at the way he used that broken brushstroke to create the effect of light on the water. He’s not trying to be realistic, but something about it really captures the feeling of being there. Painters are always in conversation, borrowing and responding to one another’s ideas. In this work I see the influence of Impressionists like Monet and Renoir. Yet Prendergast makes the style distinctly his own. Painting allows for ambiguity, and multiple points of view, instead of one clear story.