An unapologetic plant geek shares advice and opinions on gardening, the contrived and the natural landscape, as well as occasional topics from the other side of the gate.

August 22, 2013

Rembrandt Returns

This morning Rembrandt returned to take his place with the other famous artists in the Statuary Vista Garden at work. He was knocked off his pedestal and damaged during Hurricane Irene and had been resting at the Chrysler Museum since.

Rembrandt by Moses Ezekiel (1)

Rembrandt by Moses Ezekiel (2)

Rembrandt by Moses Ezekiel (3)

Rembrandt by Moses Ezekiel (4)

Rembrandt by Moses Ezekiel (5)

Rembrandt by Moses Ezekiel (6)

Rembrandt by Moses Ezekiel (7)

Rembrandt by Moses Ezekiel (8)

Rembrandt by Moses Ezekiel (9)

Rembrandt by Moses Ezekiel (10)

Rembrandt by Moses Ezekiel (11)

Rembrandt by Moses Ezekiel (12)

Rembrandt by Moses Ezekiel (13)

Rembrandt by Moses Ezekiel (14)

Rembrandt by Moses Ezekiel (15)

Rembrandt by Moses Ezekiel (16)

Rembrandt by Moses Ezekiel (17)

Rembrandt by Moses Ezekiel (18)

Rembrandt by Moses Ezekiel (19)


All of the statues in this garden were carved by Moses Ezekiel in the late 1800's. He was born into poverty, one of 14 children, but despite this, was able to attend the Virginia Military Institute (VMI) on a state scholarship. Ezekiel was the first Jewish cadet admitted to VMI just as the Civil War began, during which he was wounded and received high honors. After the battle of Newmarket, Ezekiel found his good friend Thomas Garland Jefferson, a great nephew of Thomas Jefferson, mortally wounded. The barefoot Ezekiel found a wagon and took his friend into town where he nursed Jefferson and read the New Testament to him until Jefferson's death two days later. After the war Ezekiel completed his education at VMI and was encouraged to pursue his artistic talents in Europe, where he became an accomplished sculpture. Ezekiel carved statues of famous artists to be housed in exterior niches of the original Corcoran Gallery of Art in D.C. (now the Smithsonian's Renwick Gallery). In the early 1960's all of them moved to the Norfolk Botanical Garden where they are currently undergoing a major renovation, in situ, including the well rested Rembrandt.

7 comments:

  1. Nice. Or I guess the word is Like, now.

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  2. Great story Les. Glad he has returned to his place in the garden.

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  3. I love this blog. So many cross currents with my life. I live in Alexandria and work in DC. We have had the good fortune to have a house for the past 2 years in Chincoteague. Thus, I relish your tales of the peninsula in general. I need to check out the Renwick. I used to work by there in the early 70's. These statues were then still in the niches. Is it possible that replicas were put up at the Renwick and the originals moved to "your garden?" I want to go by the Renwick to see if the niches are now empty. Your photos are wonderful. They always are. And, I love dogs. Thanks so much

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  4. Gorgeous photos, and a great story. I hope I get to see the statues someday!

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  5. Welcome back Rembrandt! Glad you were accompanied by a bit of history.

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  6. Cheers for Rembrandt. Great photos and story.

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  7. Interesting post, fantastic photos:) Greetings

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