11 May ...

  The Virginia Museum of Fine Arts [<link to click], was a massive museum!  We did not see all of it; one of Heather's knees plus my blood sugar and feet gave out before we ran out of things to see.

 This was just an exquisite tri-fold screen that was made by Louis C Tiffany and Company, Associated Artists in 1881.  The Rosewood that they used was just gorgeous!

 I loved this Tiffany mirror and the way it was set up in the display case.  In fact, the entire Tiffany exhibit was beautiful, and it just amazes me that the "associated artists" were only a part of Tiffany & Company for just four years. In 1883, they became an independent company.

  The Fabergé exhibit was also excellent.  Not just the eggs ~ which were incredible ~ but all the photos of Tsar Nicholas II's family and children.  Such a tragic story for them.  This particular egg was made in 1912 of lapis lazuli and contained a picture frame made of silver, platinum, lapis lazuli, and diamonds.  Within the frame originally was a painted image of the Tsar's only son, Alexei Nikolaevich.  What was unique about the original painting was that it had the boy's face and the back of his head on the opposite side, which could be seen because of the rock crystal "glass" on both sides.

 Naturally, we had to do another sisters picture!

 I picked this portrait of Mrs. Horatio Nelson Slater and her children, an oil on canvas painted in 1901 by Edmond C Tarbell because of the three sisters in it, however, the docent told us a very tragic story behind it.

 The mother is wearing all black because her husband was killed by a tiger.  The same tiger whose skin two of the girls are sitting/standing on.  He managed to kill it after he was attacked.

 It was definitely a museum I'd like to go back to one day ... in more appropriate walking shoes!  But the day wasn't over yet ... 

I'm writing as part of my commitment to the American Cancer Society to write for 30 minutes a day in May.
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