Maurice Brazil Prendergast (1859-1924)
Beach Scene, Maine, ca. 1910-1913
Oil on board
Williams College Museum of Art, Gift of Mrs. Charles Prendergast, 84.16.6
Maurice Prendergast traveled to Maine to paint as early as 1889, before his first trip to Paris. One of his earliest known works is a small watercolor of Brooks Cove in Westport, Maine.
Later in his career, he would travel to other tourist destinations in the state such as York Beach to visit his close friend, artist Walt Kuhn and to Ogunquit. Coastal Maine had transitioned from a region of remote villages to a popular tourist destination in the last part of the 19th century, As more urban residents sought escape from the heat and congestion of the city and rail and ship transport connected these destinations to Boston and New York.
Maurice’s Maine scenes include his signature beach subjects but also more unusual works depicting landscapes with barns, small homes, and tourist hotels.