Visitors to the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts (VMFA) now have the opportunity to view the newly acquired painting “Portrait of Leana and the Lambeth Children” in the museum’s American art galleries. Acquired in December 2024, this piece will be prominently featured in the planned James W. and Frances Gibson McGlothlin Wing II, set to open in 2028.
VMFA Director and CEO Alex Nyerges said the painting sheds new light on slavery in the United States during the mid-19th century and highlights the stories of its subjects nearly two centuries later. “The Virginia Museum of Fine Arts strives to acquire significant works that build on the strengths of the museum’s permanent collection,” Nyerges stated.
The painting depicts two daughters of William Meridith Lambeth Sr., Frances “Fanny” Bernard Lambeth and Medora “Dora” Lambeth, their brother William Slacum Lambeth, and an enslaved woman named Leana. Historian and genealogist Ja’el Gordon identified Leana’s identity, stating she was purchased as a nanny after the children’s mother died.
Dr. Leo Mazow, VMFA’s Louise B. and J. Harwood Cochrane Curator of American Art, emphasized the importance of this discovery. “Most important here, however, is the discovery of Leana’s identity. The power of Leana’s identity reasserts personhood, which is brought into further relief by her naturalistic, empathetic depiction that renders it nearly tangible,” noted Mazow.
For more details about the museum’s American art collection, visit VMFA.museum. VMFA is open every day of the year with free general admission.
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