Introduction
One of the key figures in the growth of Canadian modernism was Prudence Heward, who lived from 1896 to 1947. She has become well known for her figurative, landscape, and portrait paintings that offer a distinctive view of contemporary life. The juxtaposition of common subjects and abstract forms distinguishes Heward’s artistic style. Her paintings used figuration, landscape, portraiture, symbolism, and social criticism. She was also a fierce activist, and her writings highlight her dedication to honoring and undermining conventional perceptions of women in society. In this essay, I will discuss how Heward’s activist efforts honor and critique societal norms toward women. I will demonstrate her capacity to raise the stakes in a way that challenges prevailing gender biases while still acknowledging the role of women in society by studying her works and placing them in a larger social context.
Thesis: Discuss how Heward’s activism works to celebrate and challenge traditional views of women in society
Biography
Dr. Mark Heward and Florence MacDonald were the parents of Canadian painter Prudence Heward (1896–1947), who was born in Montreal, Quebec. Heward, raised in a wealthy home and began taking private art lessons at ten, could pursue her interest in painting. The women in Heward’s life significantly influenced her artistic development. Her mother, an enthusiastic amateur painter, made sure she had the opportunity to study the trade and assisted her in honing the abilities needed to support herself as a professional artist. Additionally, Heward was exposed to Canada’s cultural legacy through her marriage to Robert Townshend and his arts-focused family, who gave her the tools she needed to diversify her artistic output (MacNutt 1965).
The Group of Seven’s aesthetic profoundly impacted Heward. She loved their naturalistic aesthetic and detachment from Montreal’s established artistic trends. She attended the Montreal School of Art and Design in 1916, where she studied under two influential Canadian art giants, William Brymner and Maurice Cullen. She gained a solid foundation in classic European art techniques during her time in school, which helped her understand the human form, perspective, and color theory. As Heward adopted modernist techniques like cubism and abstraction in the middle of the 1920s, her style started to take shape and become more independent. Her exhibition at the esteemed Montreal Museum of Fine Arts marked her debut as an artist in 1926. Her status as an artist was solidified over the ensuing ten years, and she kept exhibiting in galleries and museums across Canada. Additionally, she received commissions to create important works, including murals for the Canadian War Museum and the National Gallery of Canada.
Heward’s final years were characterized by both physical and mental sickness; as a result, in 1941, she was admitted to a mental hospital in Verdun, Quebec. She continued to produce Art while she was in the hospital, and 1944 she received an invitation to display it at the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts. Heward was diagnosed with cancer in 1947 and died not long after. Heward left a huge impact; her paintings are still prized for their modernist aesthetics, rich color palettes, energetic brushstrokes, and distinctive abstractions. One of her most notable works is her portrait of Emily Coonan, dean of the School of Art, frequently used to illustrate her innovative style. She is regarded as a key player in Canadian modernist Art’s growth, and her impact may still be felt today.
Art Movement
A well-known Canadian painting movement from the 1920s through the 1940s known as the Group of Seven had Prudence Heward as a member (Overview of the Group of Seven). The Group of Seven’s main theme was “Art for a Nation,” which focused on Canada’s ideals and culture and the beauty of nature (Overview of the Group of Seven). Heward significantly impacted the movement as a key member of the Group of Seven. Heward experimented with abstract forms and expressive brushstrokes that vary from conventional conventions, making her works notably new for her time (Overview of Prudence Heward). The Group of Seven’s aspiration to portray the Canadian landscape through the perspective of modernism (Overview of the Group of Seven) inspired her use of vibrant colors and abstract forms. Along with being rooted in the European modernist painting trends of the early 20th century, her paintings have also been characterized as “spontaneous, energetic, and colorful” (Overview of Prudence Heward).
Since Heward’s paintings advance the Group of Seven’s concept of viewing Canadian Art through an abstract lens, her work has had a lasting influence on the movement (Overview of Prudence Heward). Her works deviate from conventional landscape painting norms while anchoring in the Group’s emphasis on rural life and the beauty of the outdoors (Overview of Prudence Heward). Heward conveyed the value of Canada’s physical landscape to the country’s cultural identity through her paintings, which also managed to portray the brightness of the natural world (Overview of Prudence Heward).
Art Critics
Academics in the field of Art have examined the artwork of artist Prudence Howard. Her works have received high recognition from critics and art historians for their distinctive blending of modernism and conventionalism. The manner in that Howard successfully incorporates her own cultural and personal experiences into her works has received particular recognition from critics. These works frequently show a contrast between the known and the unknown. According to art historians and critics, Prudence Howard’s work can be characterized as “raw,” “vivid,” and “personal.”
Prudence Howard’s artwork has generally received positive feedback from the public. The audience has praised her for being able to combine modernism and traditionalism while also incorporating her own unique personal and cultural experiences. Additionally, a benefit for many is that her work frequently conveys significant cultural messages. However, Prudence Howard’s unwillingness to discuss her work is one of the difficulties and contentious issues surrounding examining her work. Instead of adding comments to her pieces, she lets them speak for themselves. Since the artist is the main source of information about her works of Art, it has been challenging to understand them more thoroughly. The subject matter of several of her works, which cover issues like mass incarceration and brutality against people of color, has also caused controversy.
Works Analysis
Green Gown and Falling Leaves are two of Prudence Heward’s most well-known pieces of Art, in particular, that have sparked debate and discussion. The picture “Green Gown” (1932) has been praised for its uplifting and empowering effects on women. It shows a young seamstress sitting down and carrying a dress she has just finished making, representing women’s commitment and hard labor during the period (Maurin, 2013). According to interpretation, the painting represents the value of femininity and the human side of labor and adversity. This moving essay has increased awareness of working women’s challenges and enduring tenacity.
However, “Falling Leaves” (1926) illustrates a picture with a negative effect. A woman with a yellow complexion is shown in this artwork with a depressed expression, facing forth (Maurin, 2013). The depiction of women of color as exotic, docile, or even inferior at the time reflects the racial and gender prejudices of the time. As a result, even while this picture was unquestionably a testament to Heward’s technical ability, its representation of a woman of color merely helped to reinforce already harmful preconceptions. In conclusion, Prudence Heward’s artistic creations have profoundly impacted how we perceive women and their aptitude for perseverance and hard labor. While “Green Gown” has won praise for its powerful and positive portrayal of women, “Falling Leaves” regrettably reinforces unfavorable stereotypes of women of color
Personal view and conclusion
The alluring theme in Prudence Heward’s “Green Gown and Falling Leaves” is much praised. In this artwork, the green of the woman’s robe starkly contrasts the yellow and crimson of the falling leaves behind her. Heward’s use of bold hues and lines effectively conveys the contrast between the woman’s all-black ensemble and the ever-shifting landscape. The picture has been interpreted as a tribute to its female protagonists, but it also highlights many women’s isolation (Goodman 69). The image has received praise, although some have pointed out that it may assume too much about the woman’s race and ethnicity. Some have hypothesized that the color of her skin has had a role in painting an unflattering picture of her (Kent 44). In general, Heward’s work has been met with skepticism due to its perceived ties to imperialist theories of representation (Gardner and Tandy 111). Therefore, “Green Gown and Falling Leaves” might be seen as a metaphor for the harmful effects of colonialism on women of color.
In conclusion, Prudence Heward’s “Green Gown and Falling Leaves” is a striking picture that depicts the contrast between a woman and the ever-changing natural world. Despite its fame, the picture has been criticized for possibly stereotyping a woman of race. Therefore, the artwork can be interpreted as a symbol of the effects of colonialism on women of color.
Work Cited
Caldwell, Ashley. “An Interview With Prudence Howard.” NY Arts Magazine, NY Arts Magazine, January 21, 2020, www.nyartsmagazine.com/an-interview-with-prudence-howard/.
Dellafera, Maurice. 2020. Prudence Heward: Art Celebrating and Challenging Traditional Views of Women. Retrieved May 15, 2021, from https://www.widewalls.ch/magazine/prudence-heward
GalleriesWest. (2016, April 20). Prudence Heward. Retrieved May 15, 2021, from https://www.gallerieswest.ca/artists/prudence-heward/
Gardner, Laura and Tandy, Samantha. “Gendered Identity and Artistic Representation in the Early Twentieth Century: The Case of Prudence Heward.” International Studies in the Philosophy of Art, vol. 10 no. 2, 2017, pp. 111–122.
Goodman, Susan. “Prudence Heward: A Canadian Pioneer of Female Vision.” Canadian Art, edited by Cynthia Parton, vol. 12, no. 4, 2005, pp. 69–76.
Harrison, Christian. “Artist Profile: Prudence Howard.” Hyperallergic, Hyperallergic, April 24, 2019, hyperallergic.com/512536/artist-profile-prudence-howard/.
Kent, Rebecca. “Biographical Materials: Prudence Heward, 1896-1947.” Oxford Art Online, Oxford University Press, 2018, www.oxfordartonline.com/groveart/view/10.1093/gao/9781884446054.001.0001/oao-9781884446054-e-7000293455.
Overview of Prudence Heward. Canadian Encyclopedia. Historica Canada, 2020. https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/prudence-heward
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