A couple weeks ago I visited the gallery. This is the same building where Lincoln held his second inaugural ball (I am quickly learning that anything worth it's tax dollars is somehow related to the late Lincoln). Since it is a gallery of photos and paintings, I didn't take many photos. But this photo (left) is a scene from the confederate side of the Civil War. J.E.B. (my 5 times grandfather) is sitting on the left. At the Gallery I learned that he was shot near Yellow Tavern, Virgina. In present-day, that's near Richmond. Next month on my road trip I plan to go visit that spot. There is a memorial built to him.
I also discovered that the man who painted the first five official presidential portraits (all on display at the gallery), were painted by a Stuart from a town not far from J.E.B.'s hometown...relation? Hmmmm.....
Two portraits made me chuckle, yes, chuckle. First, Juliet Gordon Low. She's the reason we sold hundreds of overpriced cookies, cooked in a cardboard box, and went to camp. Yet, her portrait displays her in pink gown that spared little opprtunity for ruffles and ornaments. What kind of skills did she teach her troop? The second painting that I found beautifully hilarious was titled "In the Sierra Nevadas." There are portuding mountain faces, waterfalls, deer--the whole bit. Gorgeous. But it was painted in Rome! Showcased in Berlin. By the time it got to the Eastern Seaboard of the United States, someone finally pointed out that the artist had infact never been to California. For humor's sake, it's worth noting that the painting is about six feet wide.
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