Thursday, February 14, 2019

Part 1: National Portrait Gallery: 4 Justices and Christopher Reeve

Recently we visited the Smithsonian's National Portrait Gallery to see some amazing paintings on display there. Two of them that really caught our attention were "The Four Justices" and "Christopher Reeve" (Superman in the 1970s and 80s films). This is part one of the blog about portraits we saw, and you'll not only see our pictures of them but learn about them. 

WHERE IS THE GALLERY? National Portrait Gallery is located on 8th and F Streets NW, in Washington, DC 20001
 WEBSITE: https://npg.si.edu/home/national-portrait-gallery

We loved this painting of the four female Supreme Court justices! 
THE FOUR JUSTICES - The Four Justices by Nelson Shanks, oil on canvas, 2012. / Lent by Ian and Annette Cumming Collection © Nelson Shanks / Clockwise from bottom right: Ruth Bader Ginsburg,/ Sandra Day O’Connor, Sonia Sotomayor, and Elena Kagan

As a Superman fan, and someone who admired the courage Chris Reeve showed after  his accident, I was thrilled to find this portrait: 
CHRISTOPHER REEVE -Exhibition Label  (1952-2004)
Perhaps best known for his role as Superman, actor Christopher Reeve went on to become a powerful voice for people living with disabilities after a 1995 equestrian accident left him paralyzed from the neck down. Reeve lived his life according to his own definition of a hero—“an ordinary individual who finds strength to persevere and endure in spite of overwhelming obstacles.” His advocacy efforts led to the passage of the 1999 Work Incentives Improvement Act, allowing people with disabilities to return to work and still receive disability benefits. He also served as chairman of the board of the Christopher Reeve Paralysis Foundation, which supports research to develop effective treatments and cures for paralysis caused by spinal cord injury and other central nervous system disorders. 
Artist:  Sacha Newley, born 1965
 
Christopher Reeve as Superman in 1970s & 80s
 


Who I am

I'm a simple guy who enjoys the simple things in life, especially our dogs. I volunteer for dog rescues, enjoy exercising, blogging, politics, helping friends and neighbors, participating in ghost investigations, coffee, weather, superheroes, comic books, mystery novels, traveling, 70s and 80s music, classic country music,writing books on ghosts and spirits, cooking simply and keeping in shape. You'll find tidbits of all of these things on this blog and more. EMAIL me at Rgutro@gmail.com - Rob

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