Image: Walt Kuhn, American, 1877–1949. Acrobat in Red, 1944. Oil on board, 24 x 29 3/4 in (61 x 50.8 cm). Promised collection of W. Heywood Fralin and Cynthia Kerr Fralin. Courtesy of DC Moore Gallery.
In 2011, Heywood and Cynthia Fralin, major collectors of 19th- and early 20th- century American art, committed to making the largest gift of art in the University of Virginia’s history. The collection includes works by Georgia O’Keeffe, Mary Cassatt, Robert Henri, Reginald Marsh and many other notable artists of the period. The couple initially responded to works by the artists of the Ashcan School, who sought to capture gritty urban scenes to document modern times, but their collection expanded to incorporate a range of artists with diverse stories to tell about the American experience. This installation of highlights from The Fralin family’s collection will round out an exhibition season celebrating American art, a particular strength of the Museum.
The Fralin Museum of Art’s programming is generously supported by The Joseph and Robert Cornell Memorial Foundation. We also thank our in-kind donors: WTJU 91.1 FM and Ivy Publications LLC’s Charlottesville Welcome Book.