Uncovering Lynn Donoghue’s Legacy

Canadian painter Lynn Donoghue captured Toronto’s bohemian life with bold, monumental portraits of friends, family, and lovers. But some of her most significant works are missing and we need your help to find them.

You can view the missing paintings on our website and Instagram. If you recognize any works or know their whereabouts, please get in touch. We are creating the first-ever complete catalogue of Donoghue’s work, a vital resource for students, curators, and art lovers. 

At the time of her death in 2003, Donoghue had spent thirty years swimming against prevailing artistic trends. Her work was often dismissed as “decorative” and “female.” Male nudes were banned and spirituality-themed paintings were uncomfortable. Despite these barriers, she remained committed to her vision, insisting that painting people was serious work. Today, she is recognized as a forerunner of the contemporary figuration movement.

Although Donoghue exhibited in more than fifty shows and is represented in over twenty museums, much of her work remains unexhibited—the fate of many women artists in the analogue era. Our catalogue changes that, unveiling newly discovered series on the Arctic, motherhood, and her own lived experience. It rewrites her story.  

Despite extensive research, we are still missing key works. As her estate, we are dedicated to creating a complete record of her career but we cannot do it alone.

See the missing paintings and join our search at lynndonoghue.com and on Instagram at @lynndonoghueestate. Your help will make all the difference.