Mary Hiester Reid

Mary Augusta Hiester Reid (1854–1921) was an American-born Canadian painter and teacher. She was one of the first women to be elected an Associate of the Royal Canadian Academy of Arts (RCA).[2]

Mary Hiester Reid
Mary Hiester Reid by George Agnew Reid, 1898
Born
Mary Augusta Catherine Hiester

(1854-04-10)April 10, 1854
Reading, Pennsylvania
DiedOctober 4, 1921(1921-10-04) (aged 67)
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
NationalityAmerican, Canadian
Education
  • Philadelphia School of Design
  • Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts
  • Académie Colarossi
Known forPainting
Spouse(s)[1]

Biography

Reid was born in Reading, Pennsylvania on April 10, 1854.[1] Reid studied painting at Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts where she met her husband Canadian artist George Agnew Reid (1860–1947). During the 19th and early 20th century, at the time of her schooling, women were rarely allowed to pursue art as a career. If they attended art school, they were often not taught the same material as men.[3] Although they both attended art school, Mary was restricted to traditionally feminine themes, and in turn became known for her flower paintings.[4][5] Despite the expectations for women to remain at home and care for children, Mary rose to prominence and became one of the first women to have her work included into the National Gallery of Canada.[5] Reid exhibited her work at the Palace of Fine Arts at the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago, Illinois.[6] In addition to producing pieces that were widely admired, Mary became financially successful and received significant reviews in the Toronto press.[5] The same year she was elected an Associate of the Royal Canadian Academy of Arts, one of the first women elected.[2]

Legacy

A retrospective show of Reid's work held in 1922 at the Art Gallery of Toronto, following her death on October 4, 1921,[4] at the Art Gallery of Toronto, and included over 300 of her works.[5] She was the first woman to posthumously receive a solo retrospective exhibition at that institution.[2] Mary Hiester Reid's work was rediscovered in 2020 (CBC Radio suggested 21 June, 2020) when the Art Gallery of Ontario announced an exhibition of her work and a biography by Molly Peacock was completed for publication by ECW Press in 2021.[7]

  • Mary Hiester Reid Chrysanthemums in a Qing Blue and White Vase, 1892
  • Mary Hiester Reid Interior with a Garden View, n.d
  • Mary Hiester Reid Roses in a Vase 1891

References
  1. Foss, Brian. "HIESTER, MARY AUGUSTA CATHARINE (Reid)". Dictionary of Canadian Biography, vol. 15. University of Toronto/Université Laval. Retrieved 8 September 2017.
  2. Terry, Andrea. "Art Canada Institute Mary Hiester Reid: Life & Work". Art Canada Institute. Retrieved 21 April 2020.
  3. The Pennsylvania Academy and its women
  4. Foss, Brian (2000). Quiet Harmony: The Art of Mary Hiester Reid. Toronto: Art Gallery of Ontario. pp. 21, 55. ISBN 1894243099.
  5. REID, Mary Heister; by Canadian Women Artists History Initiative; published 28 November 2013; retrieved 1 February 2014;
  6. Nichols, K. L. "Women's Art at the World's Columbian Fair & Exposition, Chicago 1893". Retrieved 24 July 2018.
  7. 'Remember me as an artist': The rediscovery of Canadian painter Mary Hiester Reid' https://www.cbc.ca/radio/thesundayedition/the-sunday-edition-for-june-21-2020-1.5612439/remember-me-as-an-artist-the-rediscovery-of-canadian-painter-mary-hiester-reid-1.5612440

Bibliography

  • The Pennsylvania Academy and its women, 1850–1920: May 3 – June 16, 1974 Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (exhibition catalogue). Philadelphia, PA: Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, 1974.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.