Maurice Prendergast

1859 - 1924

Prendergast's artistic output included over 2,300 paintings and drawings.  Many of these are New England beach scenes which he painted throughout his career.

The loose, improvisational quality of Prendergast's watercolors is well illustrated by the two examples in the museum's collection. In both works, he sketched a rough under-drawing in pencil, but was guided—not dictated—by it.  Prendergast edited as he painted. Figures become rocks; small details are added and subtracted; outlines are emphasized with touches of pastel.