Mary Parsons Reid Allan (1917–2002) was a Scottish artist known for her oil paintings of still-life subjects.

Biography

Allan was born in

Glasgow Glasgow ( ; sco, Glesca or ; gd, Glaschu ) is the most populous city in Scotland and the fourth-most populous city in the United Kingdom, as well as being the 27th largest city by population in Europe. In 2020, it had an estimated popul ...

and studied at the

Glasgow School of Art The Glasgow School of Art (GSA; gd, Sgoil-ealain Ghlaschu) is a higher education art school based in Glasgow, Scotland, offering undergraduate degrees, post-graduate awards (both taught and research-led), and PhDs in architecture, fine art, and ...

from 1935 to 1939. Early in her career she mainly painted portraits but later increasingly focused on landscape painting, both in Scotland and France, and on still-life pieces. For many years, Allan lived in Helensburgh and until her retirement in 1976 had a long teaching career, originally in

Aberdeen Aberdeen (; sco, Aiberdeen ; gd, Obar Dheathain ; la, Aberdonia) is a city in North East Scotland, and is the third most populous city in the country. Aberdeen is one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas (as Aberdeen City), and ...

but mainly in Glasgow. She regularly exhibited with the

Royal Glasgow Institute of the Fine Arts The Royal Glasgow Institute of the Fine Arts (RGI) is an independent organisation in Glasgow, founded in 1861, which promotes contemporary art and artists in Scotland. The institute organizes the largest and most prestigious annual art exhibitio ...

and the

Royal Scottish Academy The Royal Scottish Academy (RSA) is the country’s national academy of art. It promotes contemporary Scottish art. The Academy was founded in 1826 by eleven artists meeting in Edinburgh. Originally named the Scottish Academy, it became the ...

. Allan was a member of the Scottish Society of Women Artists, the

Glasgow Society of Lady Artists The Glasgow Society of Lady Artists was founded in 1882 by eight female students of the Glasgow School of Art with the aim of affording due recognition to women in the field of art. It has been described by Jude Burkhauser as "the first residenti ...

and also the

Glasgow Society of Women Artists Glasgow ( ; sco, Glesca or ; gd, Glaschu ) is the most populous city in Scotland and the fourth-most populous city in the United Kingdom, as well as being the 27th largest city by population in Europe. In 2020, it had an estimated popul ...

and won the Lauder Prize for oil painting twice, once in 1951 and again in 1965. She had solo exhibitions in Edinburgh and at Pitlochry and at the Broughton Gallery. Glasgow Art Gallery holds examples of her paintings.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Allan, Mary Parsons Reid 1917 births 2002 deaths 20th-century Scottish painters 20th-century Scottish women artists Alumni of the Glasgow School of Art Artists from Glasgow Scottish women painters Glasgow Society of Women Artists member 20th-century women painters