Frances Alexander

Date of birth: 1818 — Date of death: 1895

Artist. Daughter of portraitist Francis Alexander. Educated at home in America by her father. Known for her illustrations of traditional hymns, stories and ballads. Alexander's work was singled out for praise by John Ruskin (1819-1900) in his series of lectures, The Art of England (1883). Alexander moved to Florence in the late 1860s where she produced pen and ink drawings illustrating regional tales. She is known to have painted in oils, but only four works have been identified to date. At the time of her death, Alexander's eyesight had completely deteriorated.