Helen Allingham

Helen Allingham (née Helen Mary Elizabeth Paterson) (26 September 1848 - 28 September 1926), was a well-known watercolour painter and illustrator of the Victorian era.

Biography

Helen Mary Elizabeth Paterson was born in Swadlincote in Derbyshire, [ [http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/articleHL/38585?docPos=1&anchor=match&_fromAuth=1 Oxford Dictionary of National Biography] accessed 1 July 2008] England. Her sister and her father, a doctor, died of diptheria in 1862, and the rest of the family went to live in Birmingham. In 1867 she went to study art at the "Female School of Art", a section of what became the Royal College of Art in London, and became an illustrator of children's books. She was a great friend of Kate Greenaway. On 22 August 1874, she married William Allingham, who was almost twice her age. At the time, she was employed in illustrating some of the novels of Thomas Hardy, and they were attracted to one another when they met.

Helen Allingham illustrated several books, including "Six to sixteen: a story for girls" (1876), "Happy England" (1903) and "The homes of Tennyson" (1905), written with her brother Arthur Paterson.

After her marriage to Allingham, she became a watercolour painter, and she was the first woman to become a full member of the Royal Watercolour Society. As well as landscapes, she completed several portraits, including one of Thomas Carlyle. She is best known for her rural scenes, particularly her charming views of cottages in Surrey and Sussex.

There is a Helen Allingham Society, founded in 2000. [ [http://www.helenallingham.com Welcome to The Helen Allingham Society - helenallingham.com - Helen Allingham, British watercolor Artist in Victorian Times. ] at www.helenallingham.com]

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