Flora Macdonald Reid was born to Scottish parents in Islington, London, England on 25 July 1860. Both her brother, John Robertson Reid (1851-1926), and her sister, Elizabeth (Lizzie) Reid were artists. As a child she moved with her parents to Edinburgh. She studied art at the Trustees Academy in Edinburgh and received lessons in painting from her brother. In 1881 she returned to London with her brother and sister and lived at 62 Parkhill Road, Haverstock Hill, Hampstead. They subsequently lived together for most of their lives. Flora Macdonald Reid worked primarily as a painter, mainly in oil. She also produced the occasional etching. Her works typically portray the daily life of working people, often in a marketplace, She exhibited at the Royal Scottish Academy in Edinburgh from 1877 to 1922, and at the Royal Academy in London from 1905 to 1932.
Between 1891 and 1907, Flora and her brother lived in Newlyn and Polperro, Cornwall, before returning to London. Following the death of her brother in 1926, Flora remained living in their Hampstead home for some years. In the 1939 England Register her occupation is given as retired artist. She died on 31 March 1945. Her address at the time of her death was given as The Yeo Dale House, Pilton Bridge, Barnstaple, Devon.
Text source: Art History Research net (AHR net)
Text source: Art History Research net (AHR net)
