1000 Museums

Prudence Heward was a Canadian Painter. Heward painted landscapes, still-lifes, and portraits– but greatly preferred the latter, known for her figural paintings with bold colors and intense quality. Heward was a member of the Canadian painters’ collective known as the “Beaver Hall Group,” as well as the “Federation of Canadian Artists.” She co-founded the “Canadian Group of Painters and the Contemporary Arts Society.” Heward frequently painted the female figure, often provocatively depicting women with confrontational gazes and a profound sense of emotion on their faces. She painted modern women with a refreshing complexity and boldness. She also occasionally painted nude portraits of women, which proved to be controversial at times. Her work was greatly influenced by European modernism teachings, including expressionism. Heward was involved in both World Wars, volunteering for the Red Cross during World War I, and later creating war posters during the Second World War. Her work can be found in prestigious galleries and museums, such as in the Winnipeg Art Gallery, the Montréal Museum of Fine Arts, the Musée national des Beaux-Arts du Québec, and the National Gallery of Canada.