1 of 6
Robert Carter IIIImage courtesy of the Virginia Historical Society
2 of 6
Image courtesy of the Poe Museum
3 of 6
Image courtesy of The American Civil War Center
4 of 6
Image courtesy Virginia Musuem of Fine Arts
5 of 6
Image courtesy Valentine Richmond History Center
6 of 6
Detail from panels of Art History is Not Linear. Images courtesy Virginia Museum of Fine Arts
We asked five local museum curators to choose their favorite object or artwork from their collections. Here is what they picked, and why:
1. Robert Carter III of Nomini Hall by Thomas Hudson, oil on canvas, c. 1750
Thomas Hudson's portrait of Robert Carter III, painted in 1753, is significant to me for its high quality and content. This grandson of wealthy Robert "King" Carter was sent to England to be educated. There, he commissioned this painting from arguably London's best portraitist. Dressed for a masquerade ball in an elegant costume from a century earlier, Carter holds a mask in his left hand as if he had just removed it to reveal a young gentleman beneath. But according to his cousin John Page, he wasn't such a gentleman. Page said the stay in London left Carter "inconceivably illiterate, and also corrupted and vicious." So, here the "unmasking" actually reveals a more subtle mask beneath. Back in Virginia, however, Carter changed for the better: he eventually freed his nearly 500 slaves. — Bill Rasmussen, lead curator and Lora M. Robins curator for the Virginia Historical Society
2. Edgar Allan Poe's Vest
My favorite piece in the Poe Museum is Edgar Allan Poe's vest. Seeing the author's clothing on display makes Poe real and present, like he is standing in the room with you. Encountering personal artifacts like this reminds us that historical figures were once people a lot like us. We can see in the stains and holes that the wearer was a living, breathing person who overcame adversity to change the world with his writing. —Chris Semtner, curator Edgar Allan Poe Museum
3. Soldier's knife
One of my favorite artifacts from our collection is a knife that belonged to a soldier in the 54th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry Regiment. The name of the regiment is carved into the handle, which is made of bone. The name of the soldier who carried this knife is not known. The 54th saw extensive service in the Union Army, and it was one of the first African American units during the Civil War. — Randy Klemmer, curator at The American Civil War Center at Historic Tredegar
4. Ryan McGinness's Art History is Not Linear (VMFA), 2009
Choosing a favorite work at VMFA feels like saying which of my children I prefer: impossible. Nonetheless, I'll pick Ryan McGinness's Art History Is Not Linear (VMFA), 2009. I'm especially proud of shepherding this large commissioned painting to its permanent place at the museum's entrance. It's the first art visitors see inside the building and its bold, colorful presence―with 200 images based on VMFA's diverse collections―announces that we're a home to art of many periods and cultures as well as of the immediate present. (Ryan McGinness: Studio Visit, an exhibition at VMFA through October 2014, explores the making of this work.) —John Ravenal, Sydney and Frances Lewis Family Curator of Modern and Contemporary Art at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts
5. Ella Gordon Valentine Miniature Collection, c. 1985
Ella Gordon Valentine (1933-1988) was a devoted collector of miniatures ― a popular hobby in the 1970's. Valentine's cabinet was inspired by those created in the 17th and 18th centuries for adults. The rooms depict upper-class life through the eye of a 20th-century collector. As a child, I went to the National Museum of American History repeatedly and was attracted to the miniature collection. It influenced me to work with collections and with American history. —David Voelkel, Elise H. Wright Curator of General Collections, Valentine Richmond History Center
