Salem Cove c. 1915 - 1918

Maurice Prendergast built Salem Cove out of these delicious marks and dashes. With every stroke, he must have been thinking of his friend Pierre Bonnard. I can imagine him outdoors, squinting and trying to capture a breezy day on the coast. Just look at the way Prendergast conjures a crowd with the bare minimum of information: spots of color stand in for hats and dresses, and the figures are cropped and layered to create the impression of lots of people enjoying a day at the beach. It’s like he's saying, "I don't need to paint every detail; I can suggest it with a few well-placed strokes." The trees in the foreground act like curtains, framing the scene and adding depth. Prendergast is not trying to trick us, instead we can admire the way he plays with paint. His process reminds us that painting is about making choices, and every decision—every brushstroke—has a consequence.