A statue of a black man posing on a horse in a manner reminiscent of Confederate monuments was put up in Richmond, Virginia.
The piece of art, titled Rumors of War, is inspired by Confederate statues and intended as a response to Monument Avenue in Richmond.
Artist Kehinde Wiley, who painted the official portraits of the Obamas, created the work, which was unveiled Tuesday to about 1,000 people. “This is a story about America 2.0,” Wiley said, according to NBC 4.
The artist said he was thinking of Confederate Gen. J.E.B. Stuart when he created the statue. Both men are portrayed in the statues mounted on horses with similar poses.
A Richmond monument commission last year recommended the city remove Confederate President Jefferson Davis from Monument Avenue. “A holistic narrative acknowledges the emotional realities the Monument Avenue statues represent as well as other assets within the City,” the report from the commission said.
