Lady in Black

Maurice Brazil Prendergast

ca. 1893–94 · Watercolor and graphite on off-white wove paper · The American Wing

After beginning his career in Boston as a commercial illustrator, Prendergast studied and worked in Paris from 1891 to 1894. His oils, watercolors, and monotypes reveal his observation of refined women and active children enjoying the city’s neighborhood offerings. This energetic rendering of a fashionable woman, defined by the components of her outfit—hat, veil, cape, and swirling skirt—has an appealing abstract effect.

Artist

Maurice Brazil Prendergast

Date

ca. 1893–94

Medium

Watercolor and graphite on off-white wove paper

Culture

American

Department

The American Wing

Credit line

Bequest of Joan Whitney Payson, 1975