The Beach "No. 3"

Discussion

FROM THE BARNES FOUNDATION’S CATALOG

Prendergast depicts a panoramic scene of Revere Beach, Massachusetts, setting crowds of brightly dressed figures (including two children riding donkeys or mules) against the serene waters of the bay. A trailblazer of American modernism, Prendergast presents the scene as a pattern of sunny colors, uniting the clouds, figures, and sand with a glittery stippling. His many pictures of crowds by the sea blended sources from medieval mosaics to French neoimpressionism and reflected the increased leisure time afforded to working Americans as a result of recent labor reforms.

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