Artwork Page for The Rocky Seashore

Details / Information for The Rocky Seashore

The Rocky Seashore

c. 1907–10

Maurice Prendergast

(American, born Newfoundland [now Canada], 1858–1924)
Culture
America
Medium
watercolor with traces of graphite
Measurements
Sheet: 38.3 x 55.6 cm (15 1/16 x 21 7/8 in.)
Credit Line
Anonymous Gift 1953.655
Public Domain
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Location
Not on view
Print

Description

Throughout Prendergast’s career, the seaside was one of his favorite subjects, but in this watercolor, his true concern was color. Painting rapidly, Prendergast allowed the white of the paper to show around the edges of his jagged strokes of color, suggesting sunlight on wet rocks. This spontaneous seascape identifies him as one of the first American artists to experiment with modernism before the Armory Show in New York City of 1913, the first large-scale exhibition of European modern art held in the United States.
A horizontally oriented watercolor and graphite drawing depicts a rocky coastline under a soft, pale sky. Jagged reddish-brown and tan rocks dominate the lower left, meeting deep blue water where white gaps suggest churning foam. Small, ochre islands scatter across the sea, receding toward a distant horizon. On the right, a thin tower sits atop a remote island. Above, loose strokes of pink and lavender drift through light blue clouds.

The Rocky Seashore

c. 1907–10

Maurice Prendergast

(American, born Newfoundland [now Canada], 1858–1924)
America

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