Prudence Heward (July 2, 1896 – March 19, 1947)[1] was a Canadian figure painter, known for using acidic colour, a sculptural treatment, and giving an intense brooding quality to her subjects.

However, it was still an era when women artists were given little credibility and it wasn't until 1932 that Heward's first solo exhibition came at the W. Scott & Sons Gallery in Montreal.

In 1929, in Paris, Heward met Ontario painter Isabel McLaughlin with whom she became friends[1] and upon her return to Canada, would join with her and other artists on nature painting trips.

In the same year 1929 her career got a major boost when her painting, Girl on a Hill, won the top prize in the Governor General Willingdon competition organized by the National Gallery of Canada.

[7] In 1933, Prudence Heward was a charter member of the Canadian Group of Painters,[8] but her struggle with asthma and other health problems eventually slowed her down.

[9] A 1939 automobile accident curtailed her abilities further but she still produced some outstanding portraits until 1945 when her health had deteriorated to the point where she had to give up painting.