This graphite sketchbook drawing by Maurice Prendergast captures a compositional study of a gnarled tree anchoring a coastal scene with modest houses nestled among rocky terrain, characteristic of the Rockport, Massachusetts landscape that inspired much of his work. The loose, gestural handling of the graphite conveys the artist's observational process, with the tree's organic forms providing structural balance to the architectural elements scattered throughout the composition. The work exemplifies Prendergast's practice of using sketchbook pages as laboratories for exploring the relationships between natural and built forms in the New England seaside environment.