Louisa, Countess of Aylesford

Louisa Finch, Countess of Aylesford (née Thynne; 25 March 1760 – 28 December 1832) was an English naturalist and botanical illustrator who made studies and paintings of the plants, algae, and fungi from the Warwickshire area.

Life

The eldest daughter of the politician Thomas Thynne, 1st Marquess of Bath, in 1781 she married Heneage Finch, 4th Earl of Aylesford and upon settling in Warwickshire took to studying the region's flora. She produced over 2,800 botanical watercolour drawings and was a correspondent of botanists such as William Withering, W. T. Bree, and George Don. Additionally, she documented about 30 first records of plants from Warwickshire. She also amassed an extensive collection of minerals, which was acquired by Henry Heuland after her death. She had 12 children, and died at the age of 72 at the family home of Packington Hall. Her plants are collected in Oxford University, and her minerals and manuscripts in the Natural History Museum.

Art Work

Christie’s (British auctioneer) notes Louisa Finch's works in their historic sales of art auctions:

"Two albums of original watercolours of mushrooms, toadstools and other fungi. [dated: 8 October 1792-1797]. 2 volumes, 2° (498 x 380mm). 2 leaves of manuscript indices at the front of each volume, 299 original watercolours by Louisa Finch (340 x 235mm. and smaller), 152 in vol.I, 147 in vol.II, mounted one to a sheet within an ink and wash border, all numbered, all with identifying title and a note of the place where they were drawn ('Packington') inscribed on the mount in ink in a single hand, many with a reference number, most with dates."

Christies also states, "Intelligence as well as artistic ability have been applied to creating the albums, and they show Louisa to have been not only an accomplished draughtswoman but also a keen student of botany."

An image of a 1792 yellow flower watercolour is available here at the British Museum Website.