Ellen Day Hale at the Fenimore Art Museum
The self-portrait that continues to capture my attention.
There's a painting on display at the Fenimore Art Museum in Cooperstown, New York, that completely captivated my attention when I viewed it in person—Self Portrait by American painter Ellen Day Hale. She started the oil on canvas in 1884 when she was twenty-nine years old and completed it in 1885. It's currently on loan from the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, Massachusetts, through September 2, 2024. Its 28.5"H x 39"W size holds a comfortable presence on the wall at the Fenimore.
After I walked upstairs and entered through the door to the special exhibition room, I did a quick scan of the room, the way you do when you walk into an unfamiliar space, to gain a sense of what was nearby.
I noticed the portrait on the wall to my left but didn't go straight to it. My attention, though, had been captured and I continued to feel the piece from across the room. Something about this painting and its perfect-to-me color combination drew me in more than the others. I knew it was one I needed to see. Its pull only intensified as I got closer.