Charles Prendergast (1863-1948)
Florida Grove, ca. 1946-1947
Tempera on gessoed masonite
Williams College Museum of Art, Bequest of Mrs. Charles Prendergast, 95.4.29
Charles Prendergast (1863-1948)
Frame, 19th-20th Century
Gilding on wood
Williams College Museum of Art, Bequest of Mrs. Charles Prendergast
95.4.31.FR
During Charles's residence in Florida in 1946, he made a series of watercolor sketches inspired by the African American community in and around Winter Park, whose brightly colored garments he greatly admired. Florida Grove was most likely started in Winter Park but finished when he returned to his studio in Westport, Connecticut. In this scene, decorative orange trees form a stylized background, while figures and animals convey life, joy, and abundance. This is most likely one of the last works Charles completed before failing health led to his death in 1948.