Excursionists, Nahant

Maurice Brazil Prendergast

ca. 1896–97 · Watercolor, gouache, and graphite on off-white wove paper · The American Wing

Having observed the leisure class in the parks of Paris in the early 1890s, Prendergast turned his attention to the denizens of the new seaside resorts near Boston. Between 1894 and 1898 he produced watercolors that won the appreciation of both patrons and critics. The delicacy, concise detail, and chromatic variety evident in this midday scene are characteristic of Prendergast’s early work in watercolor and demonstrate his mastery of the medium.

Artist

Maurice Brazil Prendergast

Date

ca. 1896–97

Medium

Watercolor, gouache, and graphite on off-white wove paper

Culture

American

Department

The American Wing

Credit line

The Lesley and Emma Sheafer Collection, Bequest of Emma A. Sheafer, 1973