What is New?

March 2008

In the Joe and Marge Grills Gallery, visitors will have the chance to see two rare pastel portraits of James and Dolley Madison on loan to Montpelier from the collection of Independence National Historical Park in Philadelphia. The portraits are the work of British pastelist James Sharples, Sr., (1751-1811) and were executed during the Madisons' residence in Philadelphia. Both James and Dolley Madison sat for Sharples in 1796-97. Ellen Sharples, the artist's wife commented that while in Philadelphia, Sharples found many commissions, "drawing in crayon the portraits of the most distinguished Americans, foreign ministers, and other distinguished European visitors." During Sharples time in the United States from 1796 to 1804, he executed over 200 portraits, primarily in Philadelphia and New York.

A featured document now on display is an early printed draft of the U.S. Constitution on loan from the Historical Society of Pennsylvania. The draft was printed in Philadelphia for distribution to the delegates of the Federal Convention. The written notations on the draft were made by Edmund Randolph who, along with Madison, was part of the Virginia Delegation to the Convention. In May 1787, Randolph presented Madison's Virginia Plan to the Convention and later worked on revisions of the document.

Another featured document on loan from the Albert and Shirley Small Special Collections Library at the University of Virginia is a list, written by James Madison, that identifies all of the books he received from Thomas Jefferson between 1784 and 1789. Jefferson was serving in France as the U.S. Ambassador and, at Madison's request, scoured Paris for books on philosophy, history, and government and forwarded them to Montpelier. As a serious student of history, Madison carefully examined these books during 1786, when he conducted an extensive analysis of previous experiments in non-monarchical government. The research gave Madison new insights into both human nature and government operations, from which he formed his concept of a new national government. Madison's concept was introduced at the Federal Convention of 1787 as the "Virginia Plan," and became the framework for the U.S. Constitution.