Fruit in the Grass 1939

Prudence Heward’s painting, titled Fruit in the Grass, is a juicy, lush explosion of greens, reds, and yellows. I love to imagine her working on this, maybe outside, squinting in the sun. I can feel the artist’s hand moving across the canvas, pushing the paint around to make those grapes look so plump and delicious, and smearing the foliage with thick paint to bring it to life. Look at that bunch of grapes - the greens and purples of each berry create a cool contrast with the fiery reds and oranges of the peaches. It reminds me of the still-lifes of Cézanne, but looser, more painterly. I can feel Heward’s sheer enjoyment of putting paint on canvas. I think it has the same sensibility that painters still have today, a sort of love and awe for the world and the paint with which they describe it. Painting is an ongoing conversation, and artists inspire one another across time. Heward herself probably took inspiration from those before her, and I’m sure she’s inspired those who have come after.