Hilda Roberts facts for kids

Hilda Roberts (1901–1982) was a talented Irish artist. She was especially known for painting portraits of people. She was also an honorary member of the Royal Hibernian Academy, which is a famous art institution in Ireland.

Early Life and Education

Hilda Roberts was born in Ranelagh, a part of Dublin, Ireland, on March 12, 1901. Her father, Samuel Roberts, was a builder, and her mother was Elizabeth Jackson. Her family were Quakers, a religious group known for their peaceful beliefs.

Before Hilda was born, her family had lived in New Zealand, and two of her brothers were born there.

Hilda loved art from a young age. She started her art education at the Metropolitan School of Art in Dublin. She earned her first qualification there in 1924. One of her teachers was the well-known artist Patrick Tuohy.

After her studies in Dublin, Hilda continued to learn art in other famous places. In 1925, she went to the London Polytechnic in England. The next year, in 1926, she studied at the Académie de la Grande Chaumière in Paris, France. This was a very famous art school.

Hilda received her first art job when she was only seventeen years old. She created drawings for a book called Persian Tales. While she was in college, Hilda also studied how to make sculptures. However, she became most famous for her amazing portrait paintings.

Artistic Career and Family Life

Hilda Roberts married Arnold Marsh on December 29, 1932, in Dublin. Arnold was a headmaster, which means he was the principal of a school. He led Newtown School in Waterford until 1939.

Hilda and Arnold were both very involved in the art scene in Waterford. They helped organize art exhibitions and worked to create a permanent art display in the city. They had a daughter named Eithne Clark.

Hilda's art was so well-known that it was even part of a special event at the 1932 Summer Olympics. She participated in the painting competition during the art events held at the Olympics that year.

Her paintings were shown in important art exhibitions. She exhibited her work at the Royal Hibernian Academy (RHA). She also showed her art in the Irish Exhibition of Living Art in both 1943 and 1958. In 2014, her work was featured in an exhibition called "Irish Women Artists of the Twentieth Century" at the Jennings Gallery in UCC.

One of Hilda Roberts' most famous paintings is a portrait of a writer and artist named George Russell, who was also known as 'AE'.

Hilda and her husband were very supportive of other artists. They created a special place for artists to live in apartments on their property in Dublin. For example, in 1956, the artist Gerda Frömel and her family were offered an apartment at Woodtown.

Awards and Recognition

Hilda Roberts received several important awards for her artistic talent:

• 1924 & 1925: She won the RDS Taylor Art Award.
• 1925: She was awarded the Californian Gold Medal for her sculpture work.
• 1932: She received a prize at the Aonach Tailteann Exhibition.