East Boston Ferry 

Maurice Prendergast painted this scene of the East Boston Ferry using oil on canvas. The visible brushstrokes emphasize the material qualities of the paint itself, with the artist layering color and texture to build up the composition, more like a mosaic or tapestry. The figures are not so much depicted, as constructed out of daubs of paint. You can almost feel the physical act of Prendergast applying the pigment to the canvas. It's important to remember that he was working at a time when oil paint had been industrialized, widely available in tubes, transforming painting from an alchemical craft to something more like a consumer practice. Prendergast brings an almost craft-based sensibility to his engagement with the material. By drawing our attention to the textures, the painting becomes more of a constructed object than an illusionistic window onto the world. The painting challenges the traditional hierarchy between fine art and craft.