Ellen C. (Ellen Creathorne) Clayton

Born in Dublin on February 15, 1834, Ellen Creathorne Clayton came from a family of engravers and artists. She became both an illustrator and a writer, building a career around art, biography, and historical subjects.

She is especially remembered for English Female Artists, a two-volume study published in the 1870s that brought attention to women painters and sculptors. She also wrote other biographical and historical works, including books for younger readers, showing a talent for turning careful research into clear, engaging prose.

Clayton died in 1900. Today, she is valued not only as a Victorian author, but also as an early recorder of women’s contribution to art history.