: After Thomas Jefferson helped establish the new republic, he
turned his attention to academia, staunch in his belief that an
educated populace would assure a sound democracy. When he founded
the University of Virginia in 1819, he put his theories into
practice and created the "academical village" where anyone could
join a community of learners. Today, Jefferson's theories have
borne fruit once again in the new exhibit "A Jeffersonian Ideal:
Selections from the Dr and Mrs Henry C. Landon III Collection of
American Fine and Decorative Art" on view at the University of
Virginia Art Museum.
Jefferson's academical model, influenced by his own classical
education and the European travels that exposed him to
Enlightenment thinkers, was the guiding force of the new exhibit.
As Jefferson was instrumental in establishing a young American
aesthetic, it is of interest that much of the Landons' collection
was created during his lifetime; many pieces were made by artists
who flourished because of Jefferson's principles.
