Apple Tree (Study for Portrait of Ellen) 1935

Curator: Prudence Heward painted this oil on canvas, titled "Apple Tree (Study for Portrait of Ellen)," in 1935, most likely en plein air, as evidenced by the composition. Editor: My first impression is one of organized chaos. The brushstrokes are vigorous, the composition tilting us into the frame. The high horizon creates a sense of compression between the earth and sky. Curator: Indeed, that compressed space establishes a rather flat picture plane, mitigated, in part, by the diagonal thrust of the tree branch. And notice how the artist uses an expressionistic style and elevated the status of her subject— the Canadian landscape! Editor: What strikes me most is the materiality. Look at the tactile, almost sculptural quality of the paint. You can see Heward’s process in every stroke. Did she struggle? What were the weather conditions that day in the field? It feels so connected to the earth, to manual labor of painting. Curator: Your points resonate. Heward used the impasto technique here—thick, layered paint application—to bring vibrancy and depth to the color palette and the picture in general. Also, look how the branches heavy with fruit lean and seem to threaten the idyll! Editor: Absolutely, there is also the political labor element, as the scene reminds us of the orchards during the depression; it is hard, physical work. Heward brings forth its dignity through that heavy application. These fields provided, yes, but at the cost of sweat and aching muscles. Curator: Your interpretation gives voice to the agricultural experience that shaped many Canadians in that era. I, in turn, am going to remember the sheer mastery in the execution and the power of that compositional tilting to involve us, the viewers, to become part of Heward's story! Editor: Yes! And it's also a great testament to how our own backgrounds can make each of us connect with this image and the art history surrounding it in so many differing ways.