Ellen Day Hale: Self-Portrait

When my family moved into the house in which we’ve now lived for over 15 years, I had no concept of how much history lived inside its walls. I was about to have my world opened to an artistic community and family that had existed for generations, just around the corner from me for years.

Ellen Day Hale: Self-Portrait

Folly Cove was home to artists, specifically female artists, in the 19th century that broke barriers and created opportunities for themselves never before given to their gender. The woman depicted in this self-portrait, Ellen Day Hale, was one of them. And over one hundred years ago, she built in my home. A stone house in Folly Cove, this place began as a refuge and retreat for herself and her family of artists and art lovers.

She herself was a prolific painter and brought a new kind of feminine integrity to this area, one where women weren’t confined by housework and child-rearing, but were allowed to explore and indulge their creativity.

This video is the story of Ellen Day Hale through the lens of her self-portrait. A visual that tells a greater story than meets the eye.

Thanks to the Gloucester Cultural Council for their support.