Picnic by the Inlet

Maurice Brazil Prendergast

ca. 1918–23 · Oil on canvas · The American Wing

Having theretofore worked mostly in watercolor and monotype, Prendergast made a serious commitment to oil painting beginning in about 1903. By 1910 his oils had become more varied and imaginative in subject and more monumental in arrangement, as this canvas attests. The subject originated in the seaside culture of New England, where Prendergast spent many summers, but it carries overtones of an ideal, Arcadian existence. The scene’s enchanted mood is heightened by the tapestry-like arrangement of strong outlines, rich colors, and textured patterns.

Artist

Maurice Brazil Prendergast

Date

ca. 1918–23

Medium

Oil on canvas

Culture

American

Department

The American Wing

Credit line

Gift of Margaret and Raymond J. Horowitz, 1996