Skip to main contentProvenanceThe artist
Charles Prendergast, 1924 (brother of the artist)
Mrs. Charles Prendergast, 1948 (wife of Charles Prendergast)
Kraushaar Galleries, New York, New York
Mr. and Mrs. John Koch, 1957
Jem Hom, Washington, D.C., 1979
Associated American Artists, New York, New York, 1980
Davis & Langdale Company, New York, New York, 1982
Daniel J. Terra Collection, Chicago, Illinois, 1982
Terra Foundation for the Arts Collection, Chicago, Illinois, 1992
Exhibition HistoryPublished References
Maurice Brazil Prendergast
(American, 1858–1924)
Early Evening, Paris
c. 1892
Monotype
Plate: 5 3/4 x 4 1/2 in. (14.6 x 11.4 cm)
Sheet: 13 1/2 x 9 3/4 in. (34.3 x 24.8 cm)
Mat: 19 1/4 x 14 1/4 in. (48.9 x 36.2 cm)
Sheet: 13 1/2 x 9 3/4 in. (34.3 x 24.8 cm)
Mat: 19 1/4 x 14 1/4 in. (48.9 x 36.2 cm)
Credit LineTerra Foundation for American Art, Daniel J. Terra Collection
Object number1992.81
SignedIn plate, lower right: P/MB [monogram with "P" and "B" in reverse]
InterpretationMaurice Prendergast's fascination with movement is brilliantly realized in Early Evening, Paris (CR 1570). In this diminutive monotype, the artist deftly wiped away ink to create a swirling pattern of the dancer's movement, anchored in space only by a single dainty foot. Individual dabs of yellow pigment from a loaded brush render the glow of lamp posts in the background, and the street setting is suggested by the black shapes that resemble the backs of men in stovepipe hats. The artist's elegant calligraphic monogram, inscribed on the plate with the pointed end of a brush or a stylus, is reversed on the sheet. The original simple gold leaf scooped frame carved by the artist's brother Charles for Early Evening, Paris complements the image aesthetically.
Early Evening, Paris is closely associated with Le Quatorze Juillet or Bastille Day of 1892 (The Cleveland Museum of Art, CR 1584)—the artist's first signed monogram. The "grainy" or reticulated surface appearance of both monotypes indicates that Prendergast used printer's ink rather than an oil paint, previously believed to be his chosen medium. The reticulated surface is a distinctive characteristic of many of his monotypes in the Terra Collection, notably, Lady with Handkerchief (TF1992.90, CR 1571), On the Corso, Rome (TF 1992.96, CR 1702), Children in Red Capes (TF 1992.76, CR 1614), and Woman in White Muslin Dress (TF 1992.119, CR 1723).
There is no means of verifying whether Prendergast made this monotype in Paris or from memory following his return to Boston. Regardless, he is known to have admired the celebrated nocturnes of American expatriate artist James McNeill Whistler as well as the work of such avant-garde artists as the French post-impressionists known collectively as Les Nabis ("the prophets"). The dazzling surface movement of Early Evening, Paris illustrates his technical daring. In his monotypes as nowhere else in his early work, Prendergast displayed a willingness to embrace the abstract qualities of brushwork. For more information, see Maurice Brazil Prendergast, Charles Prendergast: A Catalogue Raisonné (1990), to which the CR numbers for the monotypes noted above refer.
Early Evening, Paris is closely associated with Le Quatorze Juillet or Bastille Day of 1892 (The Cleveland Museum of Art, CR 1584)—the artist's first signed monogram. The "grainy" or reticulated surface appearance of both monotypes indicates that Prendergast used printer's ink rather than an oil paint, previously believed to be his chosen medium. The reticulated surface is a distinctive characteristic of many of his monotypes in the Terra Collection, notably, Lady with Handkerchief (TF1992.90, CR 1571), On the Corso, Rome (TF 1992.96, CR 1702), Children in Red Capes (TF 1992.76, CR 1614), and Woman in White Muslin Dress (TF 1992.119, CR 1723).
There is no means of verifying whether Prendergast made this monotype in Paris or from memory following his return to Boston. Regardless, he is known to have admired the celebrated nocturnes of American expatriate artist James McNeill Whistler as well as the work of such avant-garde artists as the French post-impressionists known collectively as Les Nabis ("the prophets"). The dazzling surface movement of Early Evening, Paris illustrates his technical daring. In his monotypes as nowhere else in his early work, Prendergast displayed a willingness to embrace the abstract qualities of brushwork. For more information, see Maurice Brazil Prendergast, Charles Prendergast: A Catalogue Raisonné (1990), to which the CR numbers for the monotypes noted above refer.
Charles Prendergast, 1924 (brother of the artist)
Mrs. Charles Prendergast, 1948 (wife of Charles Prendergast)
Kraushaar Galleries, New York, New York
Mr. and Mrs. John Koch, 1957
Jem Hom, Washington, D.C., 1979
Associated American Artists, New York, New York, 1980
Davis & Langdale Company, New York, New York, 1982
Daniel J. Terra Collection, Chicago, Illinois, 1982
Terra Foundation for the Arts Collection, Chicago, Illinois, 1992
Exhibition History
[possibly exhibited] Exhibit of Watercolors and Monotypes in Color by Maurice B. Prendergast, Macbeth Gallery, New York, New York, 1900 (perhaps as no. 29, Crossing the Street).
[possibly exhibited] Herman Dudley Murphy and the Works of Maurice B. Prendergast, The Art Institute of Chicago, Illinois, January 3–28, 1900 (perhaps as no. 81, Crossing the Street).
[possibly exhibited] Fourteenth Annual Exhibition, Boston Watercolor Club, Boston, Massachusetts, 1901 (perhaps as no. 60, Crossing the Street).
Monotypes by Maurice Prendergast, Kraushaar Galleries, New York, New York, May 7–31, 1956.
Maurice Prendergast: The Monotypes, William Cooper Procter Art Center, Bard College, Annandale-on-Hudson, New York, May 1–21, 1967.
Monotypes, Associated American Artists Galleries, New York, New York, November 1980. [exh. cat.]
Monotypes by Maurice Prendergast from the Terra Museum of American Art, Terra Museum of American Art, Evanston, Illinois (organizer). Venues: National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C., January 27–April 14, 1985; Terra Museum of American Art, Evanston, Illinois, April 27–June 30, 1985; Amon Carter Museum, Fort Worth, Texas, July 12–September 8, 1985; Williams College Museum of Art, Williamstown, Massachusetts, September 20–November 17, 1985; Flint Institute of Arts, Flint, Michigan, November 24, 1985–January 19, 1986; Oklahoma Art Center, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, January 28–February 24, 1986; Everson Museum of Art, Syracuse, New York, May 13–June 15, 1986; Terra Museum of American Art, Chicago, Illinois, June 23–August 24, 1986; Montgomery Museum of Fine Arts, Montgomery, Alabama, September 2–October 26, 1986; The Butler Institute of American Art, Youngstown, Ohio, November 2–30, 1986; Minneapolis Institute of Arts, Minneapolis, Minnesota, December 13, 1986–February 15, 1987; Bass Museum of Art, Miami Beach, Florida, June 21–July 31, 1987; Columbus Museum of Art, Columbus, Ohio, August 8–September 27, 1987; Munson-Williams-Proctor Institute, Utica, New York, October 4–November 5, 1987; Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, November 15, 1987–January 7, 1988; Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Los Angeles, California, January 20–March 22, 1988; Carnegie Institute, Museum of Art, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, April 9–May 29, 1988. [exh. cat.]
The Work of Charles and Maurice Prendergast, Terra Museum of American Art, Chicago, Illinois (organizer). Venues: Terra Museum of American Art, Chicago, Illinois, March 16–April 21, 1991.
Un regard américain sur Paris (An American Glance at Paris), Musée d'Art Américain Giverny, France (organizer). Venue: Musée d'Art Américain Giverny, France, April 11–October 31, 1997.
Paris-New York, aller-retour. Une Modernité américaine en formation, 1875–1940. Oeuvres des collections de la Terra Foundation for the Arts et des Huntington Library, Art Collections and Botanical Gardens (Paris-New York, Roundtrip. American Modernism in the Making, 1875–1940. Works from the Terra Foundation for the Arts and the Huntington Library, Art Collections and Botanical Gardens), Musée d'Art Américain Giverny, France (organizer). Venue: Musée d'Art Américain Giverny, France, September 15–November 30, 2002. [exh. cat.]
Collection Cameo, Terra Museum of American Art, Chicago, Illinois, May 2004.
[possibly exhibited] Herman Dudley Murphy and the Works of Maurice B. Prendergast, The Art Institute of Chicago, Illinois, January 3–28, 1900 (perhaps as no. 81, Crossing the Street).
[possibly exhibited] Fourteenth Annual Exhibition, Boston Watercolor Club, Boston, Massachusetts, 1901 (perhaps as no. 60, Crossing the Street).
Monotypes by Maurice Prendergast, Kraushaar Galleries, New York, New York, May 7–31, 1956.
Maurice Prendergast: The Monotypes, William Cooper Procter Art Center, Bard College, Annandale-on-Hudson, New York, May 1–21, 1967.
Monotypes, Associated American Artists Galleries, New York, New York, November 1980. [exh. cat.]
Monotypes by Maurice Prendergast from the Terra Museum of American Art, Terra Museum of American Art, Evanston, Illinois (organizer). Venues: National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C., January 27–April 14, 1985; Terra Museum of American Art, Evanston, Illinois, April 27–June 30, 1985; Amon Carter Museum, Fort Worth, Texas, July 12–September 8, 1985; Williams College Museum of Art, Williamstown, Massachusetts, September 20–November 17, 1985; Flint Institute of Arts, Flint, Michigan, November 24, 1985–January 19, 1986; Oklahoma Art Center, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, January 28–February 24, 1986; Everson Museum of Art, Syracuse, New York, May 13–June 15, 1986; Terra Museum of American Art, Chicago, Illinois, June 23–August 24, 1986; Montgomery Museum of Fine Arts, Montgomery, Alabama, September 2–October 26, 1986; The Butler Institute of American Art, Youngstown, Ohio, November 2–30, 1986; Minneapolis Institute of Arts, Minneapolis, Minnesota, December 13, 1986–February 15, 1987; Bass Museum of Art, Miami Beach, Florida, June 21–July 31, 1987; Columbus Museum of Art, Columbus, Ohio, August 8–September 27, 1987; Munson-Williams-Proctor Institute, Utica, New York, October 4–November 5, 1987; Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, November 15, 1987–January 7, 1988; Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Los Angeles, California, January 20–March 22, 1988; Carnegie Institute, Museum of Art, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, April 9–May 29, 1988. [exh. cat.]
The Work of Charles and Maurice Prendergast, Terra Museum of American Art, Chicago, Illinois (organizer). Venues: Terra Museum of American Art, Chicago, Illinois, March 16–April 21, 1991.
Un regard américain sur Paris (An American Glance at Paris), Musée d'Art Américain Giverny, France (organizer). Venue: Musée d'Art Américain Giverny, France, April 11–October 31, 1997.
Paris-New York, aller-retour. Une Modernité américaine en formation, 1875–1940. Oeuvres des collections de la Terra Foundation for the Arts et des Huntington Library, Art Collections and Botanical Gardens (Paris-New York, Roundtrip. American Modernism in the Making, 1875–1940. Works from the Terra Foundation for the Arts and the Huntington Library, Art Collections and Botanical Gardens), Musée d'Art Américain Giverny, France (organizer). Venue: Musée d'Art Américain Giverny, France, September 15–November 30, 2002. [exh. cat.]
Collection Cameo, Terra Museum of American Art, Chicago, Illinois, May 2004.
Langdale, Cecily. The Monotypes of Maurice Prendergast. (exh. cat., Davis & Long Company). New York: Davis & Long Company, 1979. Fig. 3, p. 55 (black & white).
Monotypes. (exh. cat., Associated American Artists Galleries). New York: Associated American Artists Galleries, 1980. Ill. no. 4.
Langdale, Cecily. Monotypes by Maurice Prendergast in the Terra Museum of American Art. (exh. cat., Terra Museum of American Art). Chicago, Illinois: Terra Museum of American Art, 1984. Text pp. 31, 32, 50; ill. no. 2, p. 51 (color).
Clark, Carol, Nancy Mowll Mathews and Gwendolyn Owens. Maurice Brazil Prendergast; Charles Prendergast: A Catalogue Raisonné. Munich, Germany and Williamstown, Massachusetts: Prestel-Verlag and The President and Trustees of Williams College, 1990. No. 1570, p. 575; ill. no. 1570, p. 575 (black & white).
Gerdts, William H. et al. Lasting Impressions: American Painters in France, 1865–1915. (exh. cat., Musée d'Art Américain Giverny). Chicago, Illinois: Terra Foundation for the Arts, 1992. Text p. 264; fig. 137, p. 264 (black & white).
Gerdts, William H. et al. Impressions de toujours: les peintres américains en France, 1865–1915. (exh. cat., Musée d'Art Américain Giverny). Chicago, Illinois: Terra Foundation for the Arts, 1992. Text p. 264; fig. 137, p. 264 (black & white).
Reymond, Nathalie. Un regard américain sur Paris (An American Glance at Paris). Chicago, Illinois: Terra Foundation for the Arts, 1997. Ill. p. 81 (color).
Monotypes. (exh. cat., Associated American Artists Galleries). New York: Associated American Artists Galleries, 1980. Ill. no. 4.
Langdale, Cecily. Monotypes by Maurice Prendergast in the Terra Museum of American Art. (exh. cat., Terra Museum of American Art). Chicago, Illinois: Terra Museum of American Art, 1984. Text pp. 31, 32, 50; ill. no. 2, p. 51 (color).
Clark, Carol, Nancy Mowll Mathews and Gwendolyn Owens. Maurice Brazil Prendergast; Charles Prendergast: A Catalogue Raisonné. Munich, Germany and Williamstown, Massachusetts: Prestel-Verlag and The President and Trustees of Williams College, 1990. No. 1570, p. 575; ill. no. 1570, p. 575 (black & white).
Gerdts, William H. et al. Lasting Impressions: American Painters in France, 1865–1915. (exh. cat., Musée d'Art Américain Giverny). Chicago, Illinois: Terra Foundation for the Arts, 1992. Text p. 264; fig. 137, p. 264 (black & white).
Gerdts, William H. et al. Impressions de toujours: les peintres américains en France, 1865–1915. (exh. cat., Musée d'Art Américain Giverny). Chicago, Illinois: Terra Foundation for the Arts, 1992. Text p. 264; fig. 137, p. 264 (black & white).
Reymond, Nathalie. Un regard américain sur Paris (An American Glance at Paris). Chicago, Illinois: Terra Foundation for the Arts, 1997. Ill. p. 81 (color).