"Graceful yet precise, poetic yet deeply rooted in research, this exploration of an overlooked painter is gorgeous - a joy to read. Molly Peacock's insights and empathy with her subject bring to life both Mary Hiester Reid and her luscious flower paintings." - Charlotte Gray, author of The Massey Murder
Molly Peacock uncovers the history of neglected painter Mary Hiester Reid, a trailblazing artist who refused to choose between marriage and a career.
Born into a patrician American family in the middle of the nineteenth century, Mary Hiester Reid was determined to be a painter and left behind women's design schools to enter the art world of men. After she married fellow artist George Reid, she returned with him to his home country of Canada. There she set about creating over 300 stunning still life and landscape paintings, inhabiting a rich, if sometimes difficult, marriage, coping with a younger rival, exhibiting internationally, and becoming...