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Lydia Shackleton

Lydia Shackleton (1828-1914) was a botanical artist who studied in the Royal Dublin School of Art and Design.

Early life and education
Born in Kildare Ireland she was the third of thirteen children. Her father George was a flour miller and the family were Quakers. She studied at the Royal Dublin School of Art and Design and as she was one of the eldest children she taught her younger brothers and sisters. Later in life she taught her nephews and nieces.

Personal life
Shackletons views were 'ahead of their time' and did not agree with her mothers from whom she became estranged. She did not marry and died of heart failure at her home in Dublin.

Career
The earliest of her known works date from the period whilst she was studying at the Royal Dublin School of Art and Design in the late 1840's. They are two drawings in pencil of Grisemount and Ballitore, dated 15 November 1848.

Shackleton's painted for the Royal Botanic Gardens, Glasnevin, Dublin for about 23 years starting in 1884. Over this time she completed about 1500 botanical studies the majority of which portray orchids. More than 1000 orchid paintings, each signed L.S., survive in the Glasnevin Gardens, as well as portraits of other miscellaneous garden plants including Paeonia, Sarracenia, Helleborus, and Lachenalia.

Her eyesight deteriorated and in 1907 forced her to give up painting. She also painted about one hundred Irish native wild species for the Science and Art Museum, Dublin; these paintings are now in the National Botanic Gardens.

She also painted about one hundred Irish native wild species for the Science and Art Museum, Dublin; which are now in the National Botanic Gardens.