Flower Diary

Molly Peacock

Image | BOOK COVER: Flower Diary by Molly Peacock

(ECW Press)

Molly Peacock looks at the balancing act of female creativity and domesticity in the life of Mary Hiester Reid, a painter who produced over three hundred stunning, emotive floral still lifes and landscapes. Born in the U.S. in 1854, trained by libertine Thomas Eakins, Mary trailblazed in a life where she fought for her place as a professional artist without having to live as a tragic heroine.
She married George A. Reid, a prominent Canadian painter, and moved with him to Toronto, though she kept a studio in the Catskill Mountains. But it was the Edwardian age, and while their relationship was more equal than most, it was Mary's place to manage the domestic scene. So, how do you find the time to paint when you need to get to the market to buy a chicken for dinner? And how do you manage a marriage when your art student becomes your rival? (From ECW Press)
Flower Diary is available in September 2021.
Molly Peacock is a biographer and poet. She's the author of The Paper Garden: Mrs Delany Begins Her Life's Work at 72, as well as seven volumes of poetry, including The Analyst: Poems and The Second Blush. Peacock divides her time between Toronto and New York City.

More about Mary Hiester Reid

Media Audio | The Sunday Edition : A revolutionary artist in traditionalist garb

Caption: Working in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, Mary Heister Reid painted small works — very traditional on the surface and almost all inspired by nature or gardens. She’s been largely forgotten since her death in 1921, but in her lifetime, she was one of the rare female artists who achieved huge popular and critical success. Now The Art Gallery of Ontario, and a cadre of enthusiasts, are bringing her back to public attention. Alisa Siegel's documentary is called “Painting A Life.”

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Media Video | The Sunday Magazine : Why should the world care about a 19th century flower painter?

Caption: Mary Hiester Reid was recognized as one of the most talented and prolific Canadian painters of her time. But when she died, she vanished, almost entirely erased from the canon of Canadian art history.

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