Copyright & Credits

Pegi Nicol MacLeod, Narcissus, c.1931, oil on canvas, 40.7 x 38.3 cm, Robert McLaughlin Gallery, Oshawa.

Acknowledgements

From the Art Canada Institute

The Art Canada Institute gratefully acknowledges the generosity of Power Corporation of Canada, Season Sponsor, 2026–2027 Publications. 

A heartfelt thank you to the sponsors of this publication:

We thank the Founding Sponsor of the Art Canada Institute: BMO Financial Group. 

Finally, we acknowledge the generosity of all those who support the Art Canada Institute and make our work possible. 

From the Author

Many thanks to Sara Angel and the Art Canada Institute team for their commitment to this project and, perhaps most importantly, for their persistent encouragement (and gentle pressure) to see this important book through to completion. I am especially grateful to Victoria Nolte for her generous insights and thoughtful suggestions throughout the process, and to my editor, Sarah Brohman, whose careful reading and perceptive guidance strengthened the manuscript in countless ways. My sincere thanks to the reviewers for their thoughtful feedback and to everyone at the Art Canada Institute who contributed to bringing this book to life.

I am deeply grateful to my father, Julian Smither, who first introduced me to Pegi Nicol MacLeod’s work. His love of art, film, and culture has left an indelible mark on me and shaped the way I look at the world.

I would also like to thank the many archivists, curators, and collections staff who assisted me along the way. Their generosity made this book possible.

Finally, I thank my family, with love, for their unwavering encouragement and support throughout the writing of this book.

Image Sources

Every effort has been made to secure permissions for all copyrighted material. The Art Canada Institute will gladly correct any errors or omissions.

The Art Canada Institute would like to thank the following for their assistance: Agnes Etherington Art Centre, Queen’s University (Gabriel Bevilacqua); Alan Klinkhoff Gallery (Alan Klinkhoff, Yasmeen Khoury); Archives UQAM (Gabriel Pilon); Art Gallery of Greater Victoria (Salma Naili); Art Gallery of Hamilton (Andrea Howard); Art Gallery of Ontario (Alexandra Cousins); Art Museum at the University of Toronto (Alex King); Art Windsor-Essex (Emily McKibbon, Kirstie Montague); Canadian War Museum (Shannyn Johnson); City of Ottawa Archives (Emily Greenlaw; Katie Hull); Cowley Abbott (Julia De Kwant); Glenbow Archives (Chelsea Ambler); Heffel Fine Art (Martie Giefert); Leonard & Bina Ellen Art Gallery, Concordia University (Ronald Rose-Antoinette); Library and Archives Canada (France Vachon); McMichael Canadian Art Collection (Briana Pellizzari-Lento); Montreal Museum of Fine Arts (Marie-Claude Saia); Musée d’art contemporain de Montréal (Florence Morissette, Drinalba Sherifi); Musée national des beaux-arts du Québec (Julie Bouffard); National Gallery of Canada (Valérie Gauthier, Emma Metcalfe Hurst, Emily Putnam); Ottawa Art Gallery (Stephanie Germano); Provincial Archives of New Brunswick (Keith Macknight); Rare Books and Special Collections, McGill University Libraries (Jennifer Garland, Alexandra Kohn); Robert McLaughlin Gallery (Sonya Jones); Royal BC Museum (Ross Gamble); Royal Ontario Museum (Nicola Woods); University of New Brunswick Art Centre (Lori Quick); University of Toronto Archives & Record Management Services (Chloe Chaitov); Waddington’s Auctioneers and Appraisers (Solomon Alaluf); Winnipeg Art Gallery–Qaumajuq (Nicole Fletcher, Sydney Murchison); Laura Brandon.

ACI recognizes the additional private collectors who have given permission for their works to be published in this edition.

Credits for Cover Images

Painting of women in army uniforms and hats, with more uniformed women in the background

Credits for Banner Images

Aritst Pegi Nicol Macleod posing for a photograph

Painting of a shirtless woman wearing a long skirt, with her back to the artist, surrounded by flowers and hands holding blooms

Painting of many windows on a building occupied with people.

Painting of plants and vegetables in a garden, with leaves of green and red

Painting of men and women in a school garden, bending over to harvest fruits and vegetables, with a fence, people, and a bicycle in the foreground

Painting of people walking through Chinatown in Toronto, with signs and banners hanging in the background

Painting of a vase of long-stemmed flowers sitting on top of a stack of books beside a window

Credits for Works by Pegi Nicol MacLeod

Painting of three people wearing winter hats in the foreground, with people playing hockey on an ice rink in the background

Black and white painting of barren trees in winter

Painting of a bridge with a snowy road running underneath in muted blue and green tones

Birdseye view of a basket in a windowsill, filled with red, yellow, and green fruits and vegetables

Blind Joe’s Wife, 1932. Collection of the National Gallery of Canada, Ottawa (23672). Courtesy of the National Gallery of Canada. Photo credit: NGC.

Abstract painting of a busy scene in New York, with people in apartment building windows and walking on the street

Abstract painting of women in a room with bunk beds

Painting showing children walking and playing in clear plastic bags with hoods, with one child in a clear hooded plastic bag, floating above the other figures

Painting of the ice rink at Rockefeller Plaza in New York City, with skaters on the ice and a large Christmas tree in the background

Painting of a window overlooking a muted colour scene, with a vase filled with colourful fresh flowers in the foreground

Painting of a woman looking forward while standing and drawing on a canvas, with a window, table, and chair in the background

Painting of a woman sitting cross-legged in a chair with her hair in an electric salon hair dryer chair while she writes on a pad of paper

Painting of beds in a women's dormitory, with women dressing, putting up their hair, and embroidering material, with unworn shoes on a bed in the foreground

Painting of men and women in bathing suits, laying in the sun

Illustration of a group of people in a city scape

Painting showing a conductor instructing an orchestra playing string instruments in the foreground, with an audience watching in the background. Musicians have sad expressions on their faces

Painting of a bridge spanning over a river, with houses and building on either side of the water

Painting of totem poles with houses in the background

Painting of a young girl, asleep and laying on her side, while sucking her right thumb

Painting of a young girl looking at the artist while at a party, with another child in the background

Jane MacLeod, 1940. Collection of Library and Archives Canada, Ottawa. Courtesy of Library and Archives Canada.

Painting of people walking on a sidewalk along Jarvis Street, with trees lining the street

Painting of a girl jumping rope while many people watch

Painting of a woman in a army uniform and hat

Painting of a river with logs in it, with trees and grass in the foreground

Line art illustration of of a group of musicians playing instruments

Painting of Montreal Harbour, with an island of trees and a lighthouse in the foreground, a boat in the water, and tall buildings of Montreal in the background, as the sun beams through clouds

Black and white painting of street corner with a house, tree and street light.

Abstract painting of a red house in a green field and mountainous shapes in the background. Uses bright light greens, blues, reds and yellow

Painting of women in Canadian army uniforms, walking down the street as part of a parade with instruments, with people watching in the background

painting of a women in an abstract landscape watery background

Painting showing a busy city scene, with people walking and gathering in the street and residents watching from apartment windows above the street

Painting showing an apartment building with people looking out windows, standing on fire escapes, sitting on the front steps, and standing on the sidewalk

Abstract painting of a large crowd at a fair, with balloons floating in the air and a Ferris Wheel in the background

Painting in light blue hues of nuns standing on the street beside a car, as people in hats watch

Abstract illustration in muted tones of an orchestra playing music, with a man playing a flute in the foreground

Abstract illustration in muted tones of an orchestra playing instruments, with a man playing a flute in the foreground

Painting of a busy street scene, with a crowd of people and a giant peace bird on the ground, with onlookers watching from their apartment buildings in the foreground and background

Simple illustration of a woman looking towards the viewer, with her hair in a short hair cut, wearing a v-necked shirt

Painting of a woman in a white off-shoulder dress, holding a bouquet of white flowers

Painting of a pony from the side, with additional ponies in the background, in orange and blue hues

Painting of a man sitting in an armchair as he reads from a book

Painting men and women in a garden, harvesting crops and hoeing the soil

Painting of women in aprons, cooking salmon in a kitchen

A portrait painting of a young women with short brown hair, looking forward with expressive eyes. They are wearing a light yellow scarf wrapped around their neck.

Painting of a woman with short hair, wearing a red and blue patterned scarf around her neck

Painting of a young women using colourful paint strokes

Nude painting of a kneeling woman holding a standing small girl in front of her, with apartment buildings and windows filled with people in the background

Abstract painting of a river with tall bluffs on either side, in green and blue hues

Painting of a female holding a small pot with long flowers

Painting showing a band playing instruments in a crowd of people by a large fountain, with parked cars in the foreground and background

Painting of a brown field of cows, some of them laying down or standing, some looking at the artist and others looking away

Painting of a crowd in the streets, with apartment building residents looking out of their windows

Painting of many small garden plots of a city community garden, with different people harvesting crops and hoeing soil

Painting of a half-nude woman wearing a towel around her waist and showing her breasts, with a bouquet of flowers held by the woman in the foreground

Painting of a man and woman, sitting on the fire escape outside of their apartment window

Painting showing pedestrians walking under the raised tracks for the L Train in New York City

Painting of a crowd of people walking in the street, carrying many American flags

Painting of a busy street with a solder coming home from war to embrace his family, as neighbours watch from outside and in windows as they wait for their soldiers to return, and some neighbours mourn and cry

Painting of women beside a body of water, leaning down to the water's edge as their use knives to clean fish

Painting of a young girl in a windowsill with plants in the foreground, with an apartment building across the street in the background, showing people looking out of many windows

Credits for Photographs and Works by Other Artists

Black and white photograph of five people in traditional clothing in front of two white tents.

Black and white photograph of a women and two men and a women reading a newspaper.

Men and women standing in a classrom working with plaster on canvas standing on easles

A still life oil painting depicting a tilted basket of green and red apples overflowing onto a white tablecloth, alongside a dark bottle and a small plate of pastries on a wooden table.

Painting of a women sitting in a bathing suit

Drawing of still life with bottles, a vase and flower and bolw with many flowers.

Painting of a tank driving through city ruins in Italy during World War II

Painting of a room with female soliders doing various things. One solider is holding tray of various desserts, another writing something at a table and others in conversation.

Abstract painting showing eyes, stars, animals, and shapes, in shades of black, red, and blue

Black and white photograph of a group of women posing while holding empty frames around their faces.

Cover of a book showing an Indigenous illustrated thunderbird

Cover of book, showing a wintery scene of a house with a man and his horse in the background, and a mother with her child in the foreground

Black and white cover with text and image of a horse pulling a sled with a person in it.

Cover of a book showing a woman wearing an off-shoulder white dress and holding flowers

Book cover featuring a black and white painting of a woman's self-portrait

Book cover showing a painting of a woman looking over her shoulder to the reader

Flat Head Woman and Child, Caw-wacham, Cowlitz, c.1849–52, by Paul Kane. Collection of the Royal Ontario Museum, Toronto. Gift of Sir Edmund Osler (912.1.80). Courtesy of the Royal Ontario Museum.

Painting of nine figures in green military coats and gas masks standing in a snowy courtyard against a brick wall.

Painting of a nude women lying down on a grass under a tree.

Black and white photograph of a group of women sitting on a gym team

Black and white photograph of a room holing various indigenous pieces.

Landscape painting of a tree with water and mountains in the background.

Painting of soliders on a boat on the water with 3 other boats of soliders in the background.

Painting of two shipping boats in a harbour beside a towering factory

Black and white illustration of multiple women in a kitchen

Painting of a street light and tall red building with the moon peaking out behind clouds.

Painting of a nude women standing wearing green heels posing in front of a light pink chair and painting on an easle.

Painting showing a wintery scene with a man walking with a cane and a tall church in the background

Black and white photograph of a groupd of people in a home

Painting showing a room full of people seated on long benches at long tables, with two men bringing in plates of food to serve

Two young girls posing for a photograph.

Black and white photograph of a young girl, man, women holding a baby and another women stading infront of a black car parked on street.

Black and white photograph of a woman standing over a large mural depicting many faces of men, women, and children

Black and white photograph of a women and man sitting in grass

Black and white photograph of a women sitting on concrete steps outside a building

Black and white photograph of a women and her daughter

Black and white photograph of a women painting outside on a canvas and easle

Black and white photograph of female artist Pegi Nicol

Black and white photograph of women on skis next to a tree in a snow.

Black and white photograph of a women sitting on the ground while painting

Painting of woman sitting in a wicker chair while smoking a pipe

Painting of a woman looking forward, with a green, pink, and orange background

Painting of a nude women reclining on a couch

Black and white photograph of man at a type writer with a pipe in his mouth.

Painting of sunlight streaming through a forest with tall trees

Painting of a curved staircase with a women and man walking down it and a building in the background.

Landscape painting of a tree blown in the wind with water below.

Abstract painting by Bertram Brooker of a semi-human figure made of faceted, multicoloured shapes hurling itself across the canvas in a robotic way. In the background are horizontal shapes stacked like pyramids and rays of light.

Abstract painting showing large paint splatters in yellow, orange, and light and dark green

Painting of artist Frida Kahlo, wearing a white shirt under a necklace of thorns and a hummingbird, looking forward with a black cat on one shoulder and a black monkey on the other shoulder, and two dragonflies above her head

A painting of a women with a white collar and red dress with her hair braided and pinned back.

Book Credits

Publisher

Sara Angel

Senior Executive Editor

Victoria Nolte

Graphic Designer

Melosha Ratnasingham

Editor

Sarah Brohman

Copyeditor

Janice Weaver

Translator

Ginette Jubinville

Proofreaders

Ginette Jubinville and Janice Weaver

Image Research Associate

Philip Dombowsky

Production Designer

Kendra Stieler

Design Template

Underline Studios

copyright

Massey College, University of Toronto

4 Devonshire Place

Toronto, ON M5S 2E1

Library and Archives Canada Cataloguing in Publication

Title: Pegi Nicol MacLeod: life & work / by Devon Smither.

Names: Smither, Devon, author. | MacLeod, Pegi Nicol, 1904-1949. Works. Selections. | Art Canada Institute, issuing body.

Description: Includes bibliographical references.

Identifiers: Canadiana 20260165719 | ISBN 9781487103941 (HTML) | ISBN 9781487103958 (PDF)

Subjects: LCSH: MacLeod, Pegi Nicol, 1904-1949. | LCSH: MacLeod, Pegi Nicol, 1904-1949—Criticism and interpretation. | LCSH: Women painters—Canada—Biography. | LCGFT: Biographies.

Classification: LCC ND249.M292 S65 2026 | DDC 759.11—dc23

Pegi Nicol MacLeod:Life & Work