I. Lilias (Isabella Lilias) Trotter

Born in London in 1853, Lilias Trotter was known early on for her unusual artistic talent. The critic John Ruskin admired her work and encouraged her, but she chose a different path, deciding that Christian mission mattered more to her than a career in art.

In 1888 she traveled to Algeria, where she went on to help found a mission in Algiers and served for decades. She learned from the people around her, worked especially among women, and wrote devotional books and journals shaped by both close observation and deep spiritual reflection.

She is still remembered for the rare way she joined art, courage, and faith. Her watercolor journals, letters, and books continue to attract readers who are interested not only in missionary history, but also in the life of a gifted woman who paid close attention to the natural world.