Hilda Gerarda van Stockum made this self-portrait when she was 80 years old. She was a Dutch-born painter, writer, and illustrator. Born in Rotterdam, Netherlands, she grew up between there and Ireland. Her mother was half Irish and in her teenage years, Hilda came to Ireland to study art at the Dublin Metropolitan School of Art, now the National College of Art and Design. After Dublin, Hilda returned to the Netherlands to study at the Rijk’s Academy of Fine Art in Amsterdam. She came back yo Dublin and met her husband, Ervin Ross “Spike” Marlin. Marlin was an American student at Trinity College and the roommate of Hilda’s brother. They spent some time in Dublin during which Hilda taught art to pupils of Pearse Street National School. The couple later moved to Washington D.C. where Marlin joined the secret service and was posted in Ireland and London during World War II. They also began their family of six kids during this time and traveled the world due to Marlin’s assignments, but Van Stockum remained artistically active and began to write and illustrate children’s books which achieved international acclaim. This painting is made from oil paints. The technique van Stockum used is called pointillism. The artist applied small, distinct dots of paint in patterns to form an image. It is likely that she propped a mirror up beside her easel so that she could see her own reflection and her surroundings. In this portrait Hilda van Stockum shows herself as an artist. She is at a later stage in her life and she is still working and creating art. She sits in a garden setting, with trees and a grassy area, creating a sense of serenity and natural surroundings. Her hands are holding a palette with various colored paints. She is wearing a light purple, textured button-up top with a light-orange beaded necklace. A dark-colored hat is on her head. Her facial features convey wrinkles and the appearance of age, but maintains an overall sense of dignity and contemplation.

“Self-Portrait in a Black Hat” by Hilda Geralda van Stockum (Dutch Irish) - Oil on board / 1988 - National Gallery of Ireland (Dublin) #WomenInArt #art #WomanArtist #WomensArt #PortraitofaWoman #SelfPortrait #HildaGeraldavanStockum #artwork #NationalGalleryofIreland #WomenArtists #FemaleArtist