Lilian Snelling

Rhododendron dauricum var. sempervirens (Accepted name: Rhododendron ledebourii) Illustration by Lilian Snelling 1918.

Lilian Snelling (1879–1972) was "probably the most important British botanical artist of the first half of the 20th century". She was the principal artist and lithographer to Curtis's Botanical Magazine between 1921 and 1952 and "was considered one of the greatest botanical artists of her time" – "her paintings were both detailed and accurate and immensely beautiful". She was appointed MBE in 1954 and was awarded the Victoria Medal in 1955. In 1915–16 Henry John Elwes commissioned her to paint flowers (which he had gathered on his travels), at his home Colesbourne Park in Gloucestershire. She died at her home, 208 High Street, St Mary Cray, Kent, on 12 October 1972.

In 2025, a "large collection" of her work, missing from the RBGSE collection, was identified by a Cornish bookseller, Tim Loe and has been donated to the RGBSE Snelling archive which is now accessible and digitised.

Works OCLC 3663850 OCLC 14200835 OCLC 4017629 OCLC 5163877