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Maurice Brazil Prendergast
St. Servan Fisherman
ca. 1891
Oil on panel
Williams College Museum of Art, Bequest of Mrs. Charles Prendergast, 95.4.74

Charles Prendergast (1863-1948)
Frame, 19th-20th Century
Gilding and wood
Williams College Museum of Art, Bequest of Mrs. Charles Prendergast

One of the artist’s earliest paintings of figures overlooking the sea, St. Servan Fisherman depicts a lone fisherman standing on the shore, perhaps weighing the success of his next fishing trip. One can envision Maurice himself, assessing the scene in a similar manner, before capturing it on canvas or paper. The artist’s loose, expressive brushstrokes and humble subject matter reflect the early influence of French Impressionism, which Maurice encountered during his studies in Paris.

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