Martha Visser't Hooft

Martha Visser't Hooft (née Hamlin) (1906-1994) was an American painter and teacher. She was known for her modernist paintings, as well as contributions to artists societies in Buffalo, New York. Early life Visser't Hooft (née Hamiln) was born in Buffalo, New York, to a family of wealthy intellectuals. Deeply involved in all aspects of civic life, her parents, Chauncey J. Hamlin and Emily Gray Hamlin, had interests and involvements including the arts and sciences as well as activism and community service. Education Visser't Hooft left for Paris in 1920 to study art at the Académie Julian. She left for New York in 1926 to study at the Parsons School of Design, shortly after switching to the John Murray Anderson School of Theater Design. During this time, she had an affair with the Russian artist Boris Grigoriev, although there are conflicting reports of whether this happened in New York or Paris. Early career Following her schooling, Visser't Hooft travelled with her parents and sister, Mary Hamlin Goodwin, to Taos, New Mexico in 1928. Ultimately, her sister would settle in Taos with her family, where she would become a member of the Taos Art Colony. Visser't Hooft subsequently returned on several occasions to visit her, meeting artists such as Georgia O'Keeffe, Andrew Dasburg, and Frieda Lawrence. At this time, she also made several paintings of the landscape.