Figures in a Park
Artist
Maurice Brazil Prendergast
(American, 1858-1924)
Date1914
MediumOil on canvas
DimensionsOverall, Image: 58 × 49 in. (147.3 × 124.5 cm)
Overall, Frame: 64 × 54 3/4 × 2 3/4 in. (162.6 × 139.1 × 7 cm)
Overall, Frame: 64 × 54 3/4 × 2 3/4 in. (162.6 × 139.1 × 7 cm)
ClassificationsAmerican art
Credit LineGift of Walter P. Chrysler, Jr.
Object number71.722
Terms
- Women
- Park
On View
On viewLabel TextMaurice Brazil Prendergast American, 1858–1924 Figures in a Park, 1914 Oil on canvas For the young city-dwellers in this painting, public parks provided an escape from the growing noise and confusion of urban life. Maurice Prendergast likewise retreated to oases like Central Park and Boston Common to study the clothing and habits of their visitors. Painted with evenly sized dots, the dresses of these young women meld with the flora into a vivid mosaic. Like Paul Signac and other Post-Impressionists, Prendergast believed that this technique forces the viewers’ eyes to mix the colors, making the audience participants in the painting process. Gift of Walter P. Chrysler, Jr. 71.722 Attributed to Charles Prendergast American, 1863–1948 Arts and Crafts Frame, ca. 1910s Gilded wood Museum purchase F2011.3