“Just living is not enough…. one must have sunshine, freedom, and a little flower” -Hans Christian Anderson Since the beginning of time, mankind has left permanent marks on the planet. Ancient peoples cultivated wild plants and animals, and built great civilizations. Now, people live in almost every ecosystem on the planet- whether in the tundra, […]
Read More ‘Ship it: Ecological Relationships in Sporting Art“The sky is the daily bread of the eyes” -Ralph Waldo Emerson Art is often best viewed with one’s head in the clouds. Temperature, season, and weather are all defined in the skyline of landscape and sporting scenes. Artists may use dramatic cumulonimbus clouds to mirror the excitement of a race, or low-hanging swathes of […]
Read More Weather, You Like it or Not: Skylines in Sporting ArtThere is a phenomenon that occurs in almost every museum: from a collection of thousands, a few works of art or historical objects emerge as a set of ‘fan favorites’. At NSLM, one such popular piece is Foxhounds and a Terrier in a Stable Interior, by John Emms. Each subject is painted with a keen eye […]
Read More Madonna of the Kennels: Renaissance Composition in Sporting ArtIn the 17th and 18th centuries, the men of England were assaulted by a new and uncomfortable sight: women in masculine clothing! Even worse, these were upper class ladies, and they had donned cavalry-inspired costume to invade the male-dominated pastimes of riding and foxhunting. These daring women were often called ‘Amazons’ and were sometimes ridiculed […]
Read More Stirrups and Stays: Riding Habits in the 18th CenturyToday we will take a break from writing about the Annual Auction and featured Spring exhibition to cast a spotlight on a subject we haven’t discussed in awhile: The Horse in Ancient Greek Art. Yes, it may seem like ancient history by now, but even though the exhibition left Middleburg in January, it continues to […]
Read More Tooting our own HornSpring has come, along with steeplechasing and flat racing throughout the Virginia Piedmont. The same springtime spirit can be felt across the racing community, and across the world. Few towns are held in as high sporting regard as Newmarket in Suffolk, England. First settled as a market town after the Norman invasion, Newmarket became a […]
Read More Springtime and Art at NewmarketRenaissance figure Leonardo da Vinci is famous for many things, from designing the first helicopter to painting the Mona Lisa. One of his most notable achievements was to capture human anatomy on paper, board, and canvas. From the Renaissance onward, science and art went hand in hand, especially in rendering the human form. Horses and […]
Read More Anatomy of an Artist: George StubbsAs the days shorten and holiday lights start glinting in window panes, it is easy to reflect on the events of the past year. Thanksgiving Day urges each of us to consider what we are thankful for; to celebrate our achievements and to show gratitude to those who help us accomplish them. As a nonprofit, […]
Read More Giving Thanks, Giving BackIn the racing world, horses and jockeys are the heroes of the track. Amid trainers, grooms, and thousands of spectators, no individual is easier to identify than the brightly-clad jockey. They are a symbol of power, skill, and grace, a psychological link between man and horse. African-American jockeys are no exception. Early American racing history […]
Read More They Rode to WinJessica Callihan grew up fishing on her family’s dairy farm in Southern Michigan, an upbringing familiar to us here in Middleburg- pastoral landscapes, wildlife, and ‘one stoplight’ towns. But Jessica had her sights set high, and she worked hard towards becoming an Aviation Electrician with the United States Navy. That’s when fate intervened. During a […]
Read More Brushes and Brookies: Art and Healing on the Fly
Drawing Covert 