We all made it to Richmond!
We all got to see the Faberge exhibit at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts!
Annnnnd, that's about all we got to do today.
The Irene rain hit Richmond pretty hard, starting late Friday and continuing on through today. When I say rain, I mean sheets. Going horizontally. But, we holed up in our comfy aloft hotel with our HDMI cord and laptop, some silly movies, and managed to make the best of it.
The endgame for me in Richmond was seeing VMFA's Faberge Revealed exhibit, showing off the largest collection of Faberge in the States. If you've read this blog at all, you know one of my many fascinations are Faberge eggs. This exhibit did not let me down.
First, because it was the middle of a hurricane, visitors were sparse. You could actually breathe, extend both arms and not hit anyone, and best of all, you could take your time. So. Terrific.
Second, hello. It was a really well-done exhibit. And, they had five of the 13 eggs here in the States on view. And, a great audioguide to accompany me through the exhibit. One had me sniffling, I swear the guard was chuckling at me.
Third, dear me, the VMFA must have been paying attention in the year since I've been there, because my goodness the amount of magnets was staggering. I spent way too much in their shop, buying every single magnet, plus a gorgeous Fauberge egg necklace (made by a "real-live Russian!" *eyeroll*) Still, it was A. Maz. ING.
This egg was particularly cool because it houses a Russian double-headed Imperial eagle frame with a double-sided mini-portrait of Tsesarevich Alexei, the son of Nicholas and Alexandra. He was a hemophiliac, something he inherited from his grandmother, Queen Victoria of England, and so was a sickly child. He had a couple of close calls and Faberge made this egg for Alexandra as a tribute to her beloved son.
VMFA, you are truly one of my favorite museums, thank you for staying open and braving Hurricane Irene!
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