Description
Queen of Cornucopia
Acrylic on Stretched Canvas
75 × 100 cm
R7 000
Queen of Cornucopia is a richly imagined figure painting that places a serene, veiled woman at its centre, crowned by a radiant golden halo of oak leaves and acorns. She wears a turquoise collar and a deep blue robe, her calm gaze meeting the viewer directly. Behind her a midnight-blue sky gives way to a warm terracotta glow, while the lower half of the canvas overflows with strelitzia blooms, broad green leaves and a generous harvest of grapes, pumpkins, apples and gourds.
Julie Tugwell builds the scene in warm, saturated colour, setting the cool blues and turquoises of the figure against earthy ochres, russets and gold. Her brushwork is loose and expressive, giving the leaves and fruit a living, tactile energy while the face is handled with quiet tenderness. The result balances symbol and celebration, a portrait of abundance rendered with warmth rather than grandeur.
The painting brings a sense of ceremony and generosity to an interior, and its scale makes it a natural focal point above a sideboard, in an entrance hall or in a considered dining room. The mix of jewel tones and autumnal warmth sits comfortably against both neutral walls and deeper, moodier schemes, offering a work that feels both decorative and quietly meaningful.
Style
Julie Tugwell is a contemporary South African artist whose work shares qualities with expressive, painterly traditions, favouring energetic brushwork and an emotional response to her subject over strict realism. Across figures, landscapes and still life she works in both bold, saturated colour and more restrained, tonal registers, always seeking the atmosphere and character of a subject rather than a literal likeness. Her original paintings bring warmth, personality and considered sophistication to contemporary interiors, rewarding closer looking with their texture, gesture and feeling.
Please note: Images are provided as a guide to the artwork’s size and style. As each original painting is photographed under different lighting conditions and viewed on different screens, colours may vary slightly from the original artwork.
