Lilias Trotter: The One who Drew Near
Lilias Trotter was born in 1853 to a large and wealthy family in London’s West End. Her upbringing was privileged and comfortable, filled with private tutors and summer trips to the countryside. It was during these summer trips that Lilias developed a love for nature and it’s Creator. She expressed this love of nature through her art and sketches, which were soon discovered by John Ruskin, a widely known artist and writer in the Victorian era. Ruskin began mentoring Trotter in her early twenties. Trotter’s passion for art was matched by her passion for God. While she was being mentored by Ruskin she also did missionary work in London. It is said by the Lilias Trotter Legacy that she was, “hungry for nourishment that would draw her closer to her heavenly Father.” Therefore, “she found her understanding of Christian faith and practice clarified and solidified, and ‘the rudder of her will was set’ toward God’s purposes.”
Ruskin commented that what made Trotter such an extraordinary artist was her ability to see nature through “heartsight.” She didn’t simply see nature, she felt it, saw the work of her Creator in it and let it minister to her soul. The very first time she saw the Alps they brought tears to her eyes. Ruskin believed that it was this sensitivity to beauty that made Trotter such an exceptional artist.
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