9 hours ago - History
The Richmond history behind Kehinde Wiley's "Rumors of War"
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The "Rumors of War" monument in front of the VMFA this week. Photo: Sabrina Moreno/Axios
It's been 10 years since the Confederate statues on Richmond's Monument Avenue inspired artist Kehinde Wiley to create "Rumors of War" as a counter-response.
The big picture: The 27-foot-tall bronze sculpture shows a Black man with a top knot and Nikes on horseback, mirroring the pose of Confederate Gen. J.E.B. Stuart's monument while facing the United Daughters of the Confederacy.
Zoom in: Wiley — broadly known for his painting of former President Obama — visited Richmond in the summer of 2016, and three years later he premiered "Rumors of War" in New York.
- The unveiling came months after the Boulevard was officially renamed after tennis legend (and Richmonder) Arthur Ashe.
- The sculpture moved to its now-permanent home in front of the VMFA — who bought it for $2 million in 2019 — on Arthur Ashe that December, in an event that drew thousands of people.
- Seven months later, the city took down the Stuart monument, which towered over Monument Avenue for over a century.
