Leader Scott

Lucy Emily Baxter (January 21, 1837 – November 10, 1902) was an English writer and art historian best known by the pseudonym Leader Scott. She was born in Dorchester, Dorset, the daughter of the poet William Barnes, and began writing while still young.

After saving money from stories and magazine work, she traveled to Italy, a country that became central to her life and writing. She married Samuel Thomas Baxter and settled in Florence, where she spent many years in the city’s literary and artistic circles. Her pen name came from the surnames of her two grandmothers.

Her work focused largely on Italian art, architecture, and history. Among her best-known books are The Cathedral Builders, Echoes of Old Florence, and studies of artists including Ghiberti, Donatello, Luca della Robbia, and Brunelleschi. She was also elected an honorary member of the Accademia delle Belle Arti in Florence.