museums and institutions:
Attributed works:
10. Elsie Houston, by Man Ray (American, 1890–1976). 1933. Gelatin silver print,
23.2 by 17.6 cm.
Purchased with the Arthur and Margaret Glasgow Endowment, 2018.364.
VMFA recently acquired fifty photographs by the American artist Man Ray,
including this glamorous portrait of the Brazilian singer Elsie Houston (1902–43).
A versatile performer, Houston was equally at home singing mezzo-soprano in an
opera house as she was performing Brazilian folk songs by candlelight in a bar or
nightclub. VMFA is organising a major exhibition entitled ‘Man Ray: The Paris
Years’, which will open in Richmond in October 2021 and focuses on the artist’s
first stay in Paris, between 1921 and 1940.
Attributed works:
11. Tennis at Newport, by George Bellows (American, 1882–1925). 1920.
Oil on canvas, 16.9 by 20.9 cm.
James W. and Frances Gibson McGlothlin Collection, 2017.155.
In 2017 James W. and Frances Gibson McGlothlin generously donated five arresting
works by the American realist painter George Bellows, including Tennis at Newport.
In 1919 Bellows attended the United States National Lawn Tennis Association
Championship in Newport, Rhode Island, and completed this celebrated painting
the following year. It demonstrates the artist’s facile brushwork and interest in
athletic spectacle. This painting is displayed in the museum’s 2010 McGlothlin Wing
alongside other works from the collection of these generous VMFA patrons.
Attributed works:
12. Three folk musicians, by Romare Bearden (American, 1911–88). 1967.
Collage of various papers with paint and graphite on canvas, 127 by 152.4 cm.
Purchased with the Arthur and Margaret Glasgow Endowment, 2016.336.
Three folk musicians showcases Romare Bearden’s deft use of musical imagery to evoke
memory and lived experience. The acquisition of one of Bearden’s largest and most
ambitious collage paintings reflects VMFA’s Strategic Plan commitment to bolster
its holdings of works by African American artists and Three folk musicians has swiftly
become one of the most beloved works of art in the museum’s collection.
Attributed works:
13. Born again (homage), by Sam Gilliam (American, b.1933). 1968. Magna and acrylic
on canvas with aluminium powder, 302.3 by 447 cm.
Purchased with the Sydney and Frances Lewis Endowment Fund; and a partial gift of Jeffrey
L. Humber, Jr, 2018.307.
An iconic figure in American painting, Sam Gilliam has related this majestic work
to the liberating impact of Jackson Pollock’s monumental, all-over compositions in
poured and spattered paint, as well as the turbulent political period in the United
States during the late 1960s, including the assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr.
Gilliam began the work by pouring paint directly onto the unprimed, unstretched
canvas, which he then folded while still wet to create luminous striations and bursts
of colour. Gilliam then stretched the canvas over a bevelled-edge wood frame, which
projects the work off the wall into the physical space of the viewer. The intense
labour involved in the making of this abstract painting led the artist to also consider
it as his homage to the ordinary person who works with their hands.
Attributed works:
14. America seen through stars and stripes, New York City, NY, by Ming Smith
(American, b. c.1951). c.1976. Gelatin silver print, 31.8 by 47 cm.
Purchased with the Adolph D. and Wilkins C. Williams Fund, 2016.241.
VMFA has built a collection of nearly two hundred works by the early members
of the Kamoinge Workshop, an African American photography collective formed
in New York in 1963. In 1972 Ming Smith became the first woman artist to join
the group and she has since gone on to achieve international acclaim for her
pioneering work as a photographer.
Attributed works:
15. Marine, hotel near airport, Richmond, by Susan Worsham (American, b.1969).
2009. Archival pigment print, 83.8 by 104.1 cm.
Purchased with the Aldine S. Hartman Endowment Fund, 2017.117.
This photograph is from Richmond artist Susan Worsham’s series ‘By the Grace
of God’ and, as that name suggests, the image is the result of a chance meeting. In
search of subject-matter, the photographer was driving near Richmond International
Airport when the weather turned for the worse. Deciding to return home, Worsham
turned her car around in a motel parking lot, where she saw a number of US Marines
in uniform. She asked the young men where they were from, to which they replied,
‘all over, ma’am’. The subject here agreed to let her take his picture in his motel room
with her large format, 4 by 5 inch viewfinder camera. The pared-down directness of
this carefully staged photograph makes the subject seem intensely familiar, despite
his anonymity.
Attributed works:
16. A small band, by Glenn Ligon (American, b.1960). 2015. Neon, paint and
metal support, 594.4 by 670.6 by 228.6 cm.
Purchased with the Arthur and Margaret Glasgow Endowment, 2018.350.
The flashing neon words ‘blues’, ‘blood’ and ‘bruise’ in Glenn Ligon’s monumental
light installation, which was installed in the museum’s atrium in 2018, come from
the testimony of Daniel Hamm, who was wrongly accused of murder in 1965 and
later exonerated, along with other members of the ‘Harlem Six’. Hamm spoke
publicly about the beatings he experienced at the hands of police officers and
A small band inspires reflection on past and ongoing instances of police brutality
against communities of colour.
Attributed works:
17. Luxation I, by Tsherin Sherpa (American, b.1968 Nepal). 2016.
Acrylic on sixteen canvases, each 45.7 by 45.7 cm.
Purchased with the Adolph D. and Wilkins C. Williams Fund, 2017.195a-p.
Tsherin Sherpa – who was born in Kathmandu, Nepal, but is ethnically
Tibetan – leverages his mastery of traditional Tibetan thangka painting to create
such vibrant compositions as Luxation I, the first contemporary work to enter
VMFA’s renowned Himalayan collection. VMFA is now organising the artist’s
focused retrospective exhibition, ‘Tsherin Sherpa: Spirits’, which will open in
Richmond in February 2022.
Attributed works:
18. Let them be children, by Deborah Roberts (American, b.1962). 2018.
Acrylic, pastel, ink, gouache and collage on canvas, 114.3 by 335.3 cm.
Purchased with the Arthur and Margaret Glasgow Endowment, 2019.1.
In Let them be children – the artist’s largest and most complex composition to date –
Deborah Roberts applies her signature style of collage, painting and drawing onto
the surface of the canvas. The work identifies the challenges faced by Black youth,
who balance building their identities and enjoying their childhood with the social
pressures and forced expectation to prematurely grow up.
Attributed works:
19. Butterfly whorl, by Susan Point (Coast Salish, b.1952). 2018. Red cedar,
copper and pigment, diameter 127 cm.
Purchased with funds provided by Margaret A. and C. Boyd Clarke, 2019.48.
Coast Salish artist Susan Point’s large-scale carving – a medium generally the
purview of male artists among the indigenous peoples of the Canadian Pacific
Northwest Coast – illustrates six hummingbirds embedded into the central
butterfly motif. The knife-work, copper embellishments and compositional
skill are all indicative of her artistic strengths.
Attributed works:
2. Portrait of a lady of the Gonzaga or Sanvitale family, by Lavinia Fontana
(Italian, 1552–1614). c.1585. Oil on canvas, 115 by 87 cm.
Purchased with the Adolph D. Williams and Wilkins C. Williams Fund, by exchange; gift of
Judge John Barton Payne, by exchange; gift of the Estate of Charles B. Samuels, by exchange;
gift of Karl Rudolph, by exchange; bequest of William Palmer Gray, by exchange; and gift of
Mr Laban Lacy Rice, by exchange, 2021.3.
This extravagant portrait is the work of Lavinia Fontana, the iconic late-Renaissance
woman artist who ran a highly successful studio in Bologna. The commission
was probably made in the context of the young sitter’s engagement. The possible
identification of the subject as Isabella Gonzaga, Duchess of Sabbioneta (1565–1637),
has recently been proposed.
Attributed works:
20. Rumors of war, by Kehinde Wiley (American, b.1977). 2019. Bronze on a
limestone pedestal, 835.3 by 776.9 by 481.7 cm.
Purchased with the gift of Virginia Sargeant Reynolds in memory of her husband, Richard S.
Reynolds, Jr, by exchange; Arthur and Margaret Glasgow Endowment; Pamela K. and
William A. Royall, Jr; Tom and Angel Papa; and additional private donors, 2019.39.
Challenging ideas of memorialisation, Kehinde Wiley’s monumental bronze
equestrian sculpture Rumors of war reimagines the statue of Confederate General
J.E.B. Stuart, which until recently stood on Richmond’s Monument Avenue, as a
Black male figure with a high fade haircut with dreadlocks, jeans ripped at the knees
and Nike Kyrie sneakers. Wiley created this sculpture – his first public artwork –
specifically for VMFA and in December 2019 it was permanently installed at the
entrance to the museum to welcome all visitors. Since that time, Rumors of War
has become a symbol of a better, brighter and more inclusive future for the city
of Richmond, the Commonwealth of Virginia and the United States of America.
Attributed works:
21. Time fractal, by Virginia Jaramillo (American, b.1939).
1973. Acrylic on canvas, 183.2 by 183.2 cm.
Purchased with the Adolph D. and Wilkins C. Williams Fund,
by exchange, 2020.19.
Virginia Jaramillo is celebrated for her pioneering abstract
paintings that combine monochromatic fields of vibrant
colour with gestural linear markings in a bold, yet minimal
style that is uniquely her own. Drawing upon the history of
painting, as well as her Mexican American heritage, Jaramillo
explores in this work perceptions of time and space and the
mental structural patterns we impose on the world.
Attributed works:
22. Procession, by Odili Donald Odita (American, b.1966
Nigeria). 2020. Acrylic latex matt (flat) wall paint, acrylic
soft gel medium and varnish, dimensions variable.
Purchased with the Adolph D. and Wilkins C. Williams Fund, 2019.43.
Beautifully transforming VMFA’s atrium, Procession is a
dynamic mural of colourful lines and complex patterns by
Nigerian-born artist Odili Donald Odita. The VMFA’s lightfilled
architecture as well as its African and African American
collections served as Odita’s inspiration for the work.
Attributed works:
4. Progress (the advance of civilization), by Asher B. Durand (American, 1796–1886).
1853. Oil on canvas, 121.9 by 182.7 cm.
Gift of an anonymous donor, 2018.547.
One of the most renowned landscape paintings of the Hudson River School, Asher B.
Durand’s Progress points to several competing forces in nineteenth-century American
cultural and social history, including ecology, Native American policies, railroads
and the Industrial Revolution. Offsetting the locomotive, canal, townscape and the
log cabin at right, the presence of Native Americans in the left foreground reminds
us of the sacrifices engendered by ‘the advance of civilization’.
Attributed works:
5. A Southern Cheyenne ledger drawing, by Howling Wolf (Honanistto) (Southern
Cheyenne, 1849–1927). c.1875. Watercolour and ink on paper, 35.6 by 59.1 cm.
Purchased with the gift of Mrs Alfred duPont, by exchange, 2020.176.
‘Ledger drawing’ is the term used for works by Native Americans in pencil, ink and
watercolour that were often made on paper taken from ledgers or account books.
The Southern Cheyenne warrior Howling Wolf is one of only two Native American
ledger artists who created the art form in all three phases of his life: as a warrior from
1861 to 1875; as a prisoner from 1875 to 1878 (when he made this drawing); and upon
his return home from 1878 to 1927. This ledger drawing is one of the largest and best
examples of Howling Wolf’s work. The rich colours and historical importance of
this work on paper resulted in a world-record price for a single ledger drawing when
VMFA acquired it for $106,250 at Heritage Auctions in May 2020.
Attributed works:
6. The three-pond cottage at Le Pouldu, by Paul S rusier (French, 1864–1927). 1889.
Oil on canvas, 73 by 92 cm.
Purchased with the gift of Mrs Alfred duPont, by exchange. Acquired in honour of Mr
and Mrs Paul Mellon to reflect the spirit of their collection and their generous support
of the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, 2020.165.
Completed in the autumn of 1889, during one of Paul S rusier’s visits to Brittany
with Paul Gauguin, this painting is a masterful testimony to the deep consideration
the artist applied in adapting the aesthetics of the Pont-Aven School to the earliest
developments of what would become the Nabi style. This painting was purchased
in honour of VMFA patrons Paul Mellon and Rachel Lambert Mellon and will be
installed in the newly renovated Mellon Galleries at VMFA, which are scheduled
to open in October 2021.
Attributed works:
7. Wisteria ‘Glycines’ choker, by Philippe Wolfers (Belgian,
1858–1929). 1900–02. 18-carat gold, watermelon tourmaline,
opal wisterias, purple and green plique- -jour enamel,
rubies and garnets, 5 by 38 cm.
Purchased with the gift of Mrs Alfred duPont, by exchange, 2020.1.
This rare and splendid jewelled and enamel choker by the Belgian
artist Philippe Wolfers represents an important addition to the
museum’s collection of Art Nouveau works, which is considered
among the finest in the world. The exceptional quality of this
piece is due to its artistry and the spectacular use of enamel.
Attributed works:
8. Covered tureen, tray and ladle, by Peter Carl Faberg (Russian,
1846–1920). c.1908–17. Silver, silver-gilt, cabochon amethysts,
chrysoprases, chalcedonies and garnets, tureen with cover:
57.2 by 34.9 by 29.8 cm.; tray: 12.7 by 73.7 by 53.3 cm.; and ladle:
32.4 by 8.23 by 11.4 cm.
Purchased with the gift of Mrs Alfred duPont, by exchange, 2020.166a–d.
VMFA has more than two hundred objects by Faberg in its
collection, including five imperial Easter eggs. This rare jewelled
tureen, ladle and tray, created in Moscow in the Old Russian style,
is decorated with swans, porpoises and other ornamental motifs.
The presence of swans (emblematic of fidelity as they mate for life)
and the possible entwined initials surrounded by a garland of
flowers on the finial to the lid suggest that this piece was intended
as a wedding or anniversary gift.
Attributed works:
9. Autostrasse im Taunus (Taunus Road), by Ernst Ludwig Kirchner
(German, 1880–1938). 1916. Oil on canvas, 71.5 by 59.5 cm.
Purchased with the Arthur and Margaret Glasgow Endowment, by exchange;
and gift of Eva Fischer Marx, Thomas Marx and Dr George and Mrs Marylou
Fischer, 2021.1.
Recently restituted to the Fischer family heirs and reunited with
the Ludwig and Rosy Fischer Collection at VMFA through a giftpurchase
arrangement, Ernst Ludwig Kirchner’s Taunus Road
joins more than two hundred works in the Fischer Collection
of German Expressionism, which will be the focus of a major
exhibition at the museum in 2025.
Non-western art unattributed:
3. Tagasode (whose sleeves?), pair of six-panel folding screens. Japanese, Edo period,
17th century. Ink, colour and gold foil on paper, each 172.1 by 378.5 cm.
Purchased with the Arthur and Margaret Glasgow Endowment, 2018.398.1–2.
In Japanese classical love poetry the phrase Tagasode (whose sleeves?) refers to an absent
woman whose beautiful robes evoke memories of their owner. The intricate designs
and vibrant colours of the kimonos on lacquered stands shown in this pair of folding
screens, alongside the illustrated Tale of Genji and opened sutra, convey not only
the luxurious costumes produced in Kyoto in the seventeenth century, but also the
owner’s classical and spiritual pursuits.
Western art unattributed:
1. Strigillated lion sarcophagus. Roman, AD 260–80. Marble,
62.2 by 170.2 by 68.6 cm.
Purchased with the Arthur and Margaret Glasgow Endowment and Jack and Mary Anne
Frable Fund, 2021.2.
The acquisition of this lion sarcophagus introduces a new iconography into
VMFA’s collection and allows visitors to engage more fully with issues of ancient
Mediterranean art, burial customs, religion and the Roman world more generally.
