Still Life 1913

Maurice Prendergast's 'Still Life', somewhere between 1890 and 1920, feels so contemporary. The daubs of contrasting colors, the red against green, the orange against blue – create a harmonious vibration that makes my eyes dance. I can imagine Prendergast, setting up the objects in his studio and then stepping back, squinting, trying to capture the light and the weight of form without getting bogged down in realism. He lays down these marks, almost like mosaic tiles, building up the image bit by bit. I wonder if he struggled with that dark bottle, trying to make it sit right amongst the juicy fruits and flowers? There is a conversation happening on that tabletop that I recognize from my own painting practice – the push and pull of color, the tension between representation and abstraction, and the joy of simply playing with paint. Prendergast, like all artists, was in dialogue with those who came before him, taking cues, pushing boundaries, and adding his unique voice to the mix.