Mary Hiester Reid

Who was Mary Hiester Reid?

Mary Hiester Reid was an American painter and teacher.

Mary studied painting at Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts where she met her husband Canadian artist George Agnew Reid. 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. Although they both attended art school, Mary was restricted to traditionally feminine themes, and in turn became known for her flower paintings. 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. In addition to producing pieces that were widely admired, Mary became financially successful and received significant reviews in the Toronto press. A retrospective show of her work held in 1922, following her death, at the Art Gallery of Toronto, and included over 300 of her works.