Ann Lee

Ann Lee (1753 – 1790) was a British botanical illustrator who also illustrated birds and insects.

Life Lee was the youngest daughter of James Lee, a Scottish nurseryman trading in Hammersmith, London, In 2012 these "utensils" were reported to be in the collection of the National Library of Australia.

Her father was in correspondence with Carl Linnaeus during the 1770s and he would send his daughter's drawings to him to illustrate a point. He offered to send some of her work to him on loan or to view because of its value.

Lee was commissioned by John Fothergill to draw plants from his garden and insects and shells from his museum. After Fothergill's death his collection, including Lee's drawings, was sold to Catherine the Great. Lee made copies of her drawings before they were sent to St Petersburg. Her works held by Kew were included in a major project with the Oak Spring Garden Foundation to digitise the work of women botanical illustrators. The Royal Albert Memorial Museum in Exeter holds a collection of 79 of her drawings of butterflies, birds and insects donated by her descendent Marjorie Lee.

A group of seven of her botanical illustrations, dated in 1771 when she was aged 17 or 18, sold for £3,125 at Christie's auction house in 2013.