A blog by staff and others about the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts
Vincent Van Gogh Finds Beauty in the Commonplace
March 25, 2015
Many of the paintings you’ll find in Van Gogh, Manet, and Matisse: The Art of the Flower are of lavish bouquets bursting with color and beauty. In fact, Vincent van Gogh spent 1886 and 1887 painting two dozen such floral still lifes, several of which are included in this exhibition. However, in the winter of…
VMFA’s “Art of the Flower” exhibit: A beautiful way to kick winter to the curb
March 20, 2015
This blog is courtesy of RVANews‘ Ross Catrow. “See the young flower designer looking to the history painter for inspiration, breadth of treatment, artistic feeling and approach, which he will adopt to his own art to imbue it with an ideal he would never find in the mere study of plants.” —Adrien de Gasparin, 1832…
Printmaker and Educator Kris Iden: VMFA Fellowship Took Her Career to New Levels
March 17, 2015
The second in a series of stories about the impact of the VMFA Visual Arts Fellowship program. These stories are in celebration of the 75th anniversary of this valuable program. Please watch this blog for future stories. Most Fellowship recipients feel the impact of their Fellowships for years, perhaps even throughout their careers. However, few…
Gustave Caillebotte: Influenced by Manet and Monet
March 13, 2015
This overblown bouquet of roses by Gustave Caillebotte features a cascade of petals, each one deftly built with just a few brushstrokes of thickly applied paint, scattered across a marble surface. Caillebotte’s choice of a marble tabletop, set against a scumbled, or thinly painted, black ground, may be an homage to Édouard Manet’s final series…
Art-Worthy Frames
March 11, 2015
We recently made improvements to the Mellon French Galleries. While I have received much positive feedback from visitors about the changes, I get the same question again and again: “What’s with that white frame?” Glad you asked. Although the simple white frame on Georges Seurat’s Landscape with Houses (which VMFA recently received from the Life…
Master of Illusionism: Antoine Berjon
March 3, 2015
As an art lover, there is always the temptation to reach out and touch objects in works of art to confirm what our eyes are telling us. But we resist (even the slightest fingerprint contains destructive chemicals that endanger even the hardest surfaces). However, few artists compel us to go against our better judgment like…
See past the snow to the promise of spring…and Flowers!
February 23, 2015
Sunday’s Richmond Times-Dispatch commentary helps us see past the snow to the promise of spring. . .and Flowers! http://www.richmond.com/opinion/their-opinion/article_eec04b54-3cde-5ccb-b3a7-ede7bcf5b7c1.html
A Bird’s Eye View of Félix Bracquemond
February 11, 2015
In 1874, French printmaker Félix Bracquemond (1833-1914) submitted more works than any other artist to the inaugural impressionist exhibition. The work Bracquemond displayed—at his friend Edgar Degas’s invitation—included portraits of his artistic contemporaries, naturalistic landscapes, reproductive etchings of historical European paintings, and emblematic images of birds accompanied by poems (such as Margot the Critique, or The…
Maggie Ingram and the Ingramettes Help Kick Off Black History Month Performances at VMFA
February 6, 2015
VMFA is showcasing African American artists in honor of Black History Month. “The Virginia Museum of Fine Arts is dedicated to representing African American artists throughout the entire year,” Director Alex Nyerges says. “We are honored to join in the nation’s celebration of African American history and the cultural arts.” VMFA is not only celebrating…
Alyssa Salomon: Winning Two Fellowships Took Her Work to New Levels
February 3, 2015
In celebration of the 75th anniversary of the VMFA Visual Arts Fellowship program, we will be running a series of stories about the impact of these Fellowships on select recipients over the past 15 years. Please watch this blog for future stories. Alyssa Salomon: Winning Two Fellowships Took Her Work to New Levels Winning VMFA…