The Graveyard 1958

Mary Fedden made this painting of a graveyard in 1958, and what grabs me first is the color – a cool, almost dreamy palette of blues and purples. It’s like she’s not just painting what she sees, but also how it feels to be there, maybe reflecting on memory and time. Up close, you can see how the paint is applied, in these short, choppy strokes that give the whole scene a kind of shimmering quality. Look at how she renders the wrought iron cross in the foreground – it’s not about being precise, but about capturing the essence of the shape, the feel of the metal. There's a beautiful tension between the solidity of the crosses and the fluid, almost dissolving background. Her approach reminds me of Joan Eardley, who also used a very tactile, expressive brushstroke to capture the world around her. Ultimately, this painting isn’t just about death, it’s about life, memory, and the way we make sense of the world through art.