American Monotypes from the Baker/Pisano Collection | Page 57

Maurice Brazil Prendergast
(American, b. Canada, 1859–1924)
Recess, ca. 1894-1895

Color monotype and graphite, 5 3/4 x 8 7/8 in.
Chazen Museum of Art, gift of D. Frederick Baker from the
Baker/Pisano Collection, 2014.6.12

Recess is a recently discovered monotype by Prendergast. It was
included in a 1936 exhibition at the Kraushaar Art Galleries,
representing Eugénie Prendergast, widow of Maurice’s brother
Charles. Charles Prendergast is best known for his designs
of decorative frames; contemporary versions of which are on
both of the Prendergast monotypes. In Recess, instead of using
a press, Maurice used the back of a large spoon to transfer the
image onto paper—the vertical lines seen in the monotype
attest to this method.
NOTES:
Corcoran Gallery of Art, Special Exhibition of Monotypes by Maurice
Brazil Prendergast, cat. no. 4.
Kraushaar Art Galleries, Monotypes in Color by Maurice Prendergast, cat.
no. 20.

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