Helen Thornycroft ( 1848 - 1912 ) was a British painter. Helen Thornycroft s works have been put up for auction numerous times, with realized prices surpassing estimated prices, varying from 21.71 USD for still life study of slipper orchids in a fish shaped jug in 2005 to 427.04 USD for The trial of Theseus in 2007 , based on the size and medium of the artwork.