Pauline Prochazka

Baroness Pauline Prochazka was the daughter of Ottokar, Baron Prochazka, Field Marshal Lieutenant in the Austrian Army,^[2] and Leopoldine Henrika Gersch, step-daughter of the late Baron Stuart de Decies, of Dromana, County Waterford.^[3][4] Although born in Prague, she left Bohemia very young and was brought up in Ireland.^[5]

She founded the Water Colour Society of Ireland in 1870 with a group of six women in Waterford. It was founded initially as the Amateur Drawing Society. Eight years later it was renamed to the "Irish Fine Art Society".^[6][7][8]

Prochazka was an accomplished and award-winning water-colourist and became manager of the Royal Irish School of Art Needlework in 1886.^[9] She ran the school for twelve years.^[10]

She was a niece to Sir Charles Wheeler Cuffe^[1] and thus related to the illustrator Charlotte, Lady Wheeler-Cuffe.^[11] She lived in Lyrath house in County Kilkenny.^[1][12] Her death was announced in the Irish Times of 24 April 1930.^[5]