Explore the Removal about the History of this artwork, Jefferson Davis Memorial (Richmond, Virginia).
During the protests in the wake of the murder of George Floyd, the bronze statue of Davis was torn down by protesters on June 10, 2020.The statue of Vindicatrix, representing Southern womanhood, on top of the central column, was removed by the City of Richmond on July 8, 2020.The remainder of the monument, including the main column and colonnade, was dismantled altogether in February 2022. A time capsule was found while the work took place. No trace of the monument now remains on its original site.The vandalized Davis statue is currently displayed at The Valentine in Richmond—a museum whose first president was Edward Virginius Valentine, the statue's sculptor—as part of the museum's "This is Richmond, Virginia" exhibit. The statue is on loan from the Black History Museum and Cultural Center of Virginia. It will be displayed lying horizontally in its "2020 state": there is damage to the statue's head and right arm, and splatters of pink paint remain on the statue, as well as torn pieces of toilet paper around the statue's collar. Valentine curator Christina Vida stated that, "we wanted to make sure that paint stays applied. That the damage that occurred to it when it was pulled down by protesters that it stays just that way."
Edward Virginius Valentine murder of George Floyd The Valentine Richmond, Virginia protests Black History Museum and Cultural Center of Virginia