“My favorite object was the great kidney-shaped Philadelphia satinwood card table,” says J. Michael Flanigan, who was curator of the Kaufman collection from 1984-87. Courtesy National Gallery of Art.
STOWE, VT. – “,” an exhibition of 40 historical portraits, opens at the Helen Day Art Center on Friday, January 18.
Researched by and on loan from the Vermont Historical Society as it undergoes extensive renovations, the portraits date from the Eighteenth through the mid-Twentieth Century.
Through the eyes of Vermont portraitists, the rich history of the Green Mountain State is told. From clairvoyant to politician, military hero to abolitionist, the diversity and devotion of Vermont’s early citizens are represented by many portraits which have not seen the light of day in decades.
Included are some of the finest examples of historic portrait painting found in Vermont. Many of the portraits are of famous Vermonters – Governor Martin Chittenden; sheep baron William Jarvis, author Mary Tyler; and champion of Vermont’s state animal, Justin Morgan. Others include spiritualist healer Lucy Cooke; William Scott, the notorious “Sleeping Sentinel” of the Civil War; and Warren Austin, the first US Ambassador to the United Nations.
The opening reception is Friday, January 18, from 5:30 to 7:30 pm. The exhibit continues through April. Gallery hours at the center on School Street are noon to 5 pm Tuesday through Saturday. For information, 802-253-8358.
