Artwork
In the Park, Paris
In the Park, Paris is an oil painting by the Impressionist artist Maurice Prendergast. It dates from 1891 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
- Inscription
- Inscribed:lower left: PRENDERGAST
About this work
Technique & Style
Created in 1891, this oil painting on canvas affixed to a board was executed by Maurice Brazil Prendergast.
Created in 1891, this oil painting on canvas affixed to a board was executed by Maurice Brazil Prendergast. The work measures 23.81 cm by 34.61 cm and is currently housed in the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., where it entered the collection through the bequest of Paul Mellon in 1999. Prendergast’s handling of light and color in this piece reflects his Impressionist-influenced style, with loose brushwork and a vibrant palette that captures the leisurely atmosphere of urban park life.
History & Provenance
The work was painted by Maurice Prendergast in 1891 while he was in Paris, marking an early stage in his development before his later association with the Eight in New York.
Ownership passed to Paul Mellon of Upperville, Virginia, who bequeathed it to the National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C., in 1999, with a life interest retained by his wife, Rachel Lambert Mellon, until her death in 2014.
The painting is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C. Its ownership history traces back to Paul Mellon of Upperville, Virginia, who retained the work until his death in 1999. Mellon bequeathed the piece to the museum that year, though his wife, Rachel Lambert Mellon, maintained a life interest in the artwork until her passing in 2014. The provided records do not list specific inventory numbers or detail any public exhibitions for this work.
Legacy
Maurice Prendergast's In the Park, Paris, painted in 1891, exemplifies his impressionistic treatment of urban leisure and influenced subsequent American modernists who adopted similar vibrant color fields and flattened spatial compositions. The work's presence in the National Gallery of Art's collection since its bequest by Paul Mellon has ensured ongoing scholarly attention to its role in bridging 19th-century impressionism and early 20th-century modernist experiments in depicting public spaces.
Overview
Maurice Brazil Prendergast painted In the Park, Paris in 1891 using oil on canvas affixed to a board. The composition depicts four women seated on a park bench, each in a long, brightly colored dress matched with a parasol. The figures are arranged in a linear row, flanked by trees and a low fence that suggest a leisurely urban garden setting.
Subject & Meaning
The work captures a moment of genteel recreation, emphasizing the interplay of fashion, shade, and sunlight. By focusing on the women’s coordinated attire and umbrellas, Prendergast highlights the social ritual of promenade in a public park, while the muted background recedes, directing attention to the subtle variations of color and light on the figures.
Context
In the Park, Paris belongs to a series of urban leisure scenes that Prendergast produced in the late 19th century, aligning with contemporary interests in modern life and outdoor recreation. The painting’s focus on light, color, and everyday activity situates it alongside Impressionist concerns, while its structural brushwork points toward the emerging modernist tendencies of the early 20th century.
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Artist & collection
Artist
Maurice Brazil Prendergast (October 10, 1858 – February 1, 1924) was a Newfoundlander-American artist who painted in oil and watercolor, and created monotypes.
