Charles Prendergast (1863-1948)
Bathers, ca. 1940
Tempera on gessoed masonite
Williams College Museum of Art, Bequest of Mrs. Charles Prendergast, 95.4.42
Charles Prendergast (1863-1948)
Frame, 19th-20th Century
Paint on wood
Williams College Museum of Art, Bequest of Mrs. Charles Prendergast
Charles Prendergast’s Bathers and Bathers Under the Trees, created around 1940 and framed similarly, are Charles’s only exploration of this theme that was so prevalent in the work of his brother. A number of Charles’s favored motifs, including swans, flowers, and baskets of fruit, lend an air of fantasy to the scene, while trappings of ordinary life, such as the colorful modern bathing suits and beach towels, suggest elements of contemporary times.