The Louvre 1907

Maurice Prendergast painted this watercolor, The Louvre, at an undetermined date. Look at the way he teases the surface with these delicate dots of color, like confetti thrown across the scene, each mark seems to dance and flicker. It's all about the process, the joy of applying paint and letting the colors mingle and breathe. The colors, they’re transparent, like memories fading in and out, the way he builds up these layers of watery hues creates a sense of depth, but it's an airy depth, like looking through a veil, and the figures in the foreground are rendered with such playful abandon. See the way Prendergast captures the bustle of the Louvre’s surroundings with just a few dabs of color. It reminds me a little of Bonnard, that same delight in capturing everyday life, but with a uniquely American sensibility. It embraces ambiguity, inviting us to fill in the blanks and create our own stories within the scene.