Helen Allingham

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

She was born near Burton upon Trent in Staffordshire, England. Her father, a doctor, died 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 in London, and became an illustrator of children's books. She was a great friend of Kate Greenaway. On August 22, 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. [1]