Introduction: The Virginia Landscape

The geography of Virginia has shaped the history of the state and the nation. A mild climate and navigable rivers attracted Native Americans and the first Europeans settlers to the Tidewater. Fertile soil fueled a prosperous economy, and the Chesapeake Bay and the rivers that feed it connected Virginia and its agricultural products to the world. The landscape of the Piedmont, Valley, and Blue Ridge inspired Thomas Jefferson’s vision of a virtuous rural society. Virginia’s importance and location midway between North and South brought the federal capital to the banks of the Potomac and made it the bloodiest battleground of the Civil War. The harbor of Hampton Roads allowed military buildup in the twentieth century and the export of coal and lumber from the southwestern counties of the Valley and the Appalachian Plateau. Geography continues to play a pivotal role in Virginia’s politics, society, and economy.

The paintings in this exhibition display the variety of terrain and climate that characterizes Virginia’s five distinct physical regions: the Coastal Plain (Tidewater), the Piedmont, the Blue Ridge Mountains, the Valley and Ridge, and the Appalachian Plateau.

LANDSCAPES OF VIRGINIA: REGIONS OF THE COMMONWEALTH

Coastal Plain (Tidewater)

The Coastal Plain (or Tidewater) region of Virginia is near the Atlantic Ocean and Chesapeake Bay. This region is characterized by flat land and lies east of the Fall Line. Among the products produced here are seafood and peanuts; its industries include shipbuilding, tourism, and the military.

Chiles Larson, “Future Harvest on the Water”
Object Number 2005.327.12
Caption: Fishing is an important industry in the Coastal Plain.

Newport News Shipbuilding Company, “Launching of the aircraft carrier USS John F. Kennedy”
Object Number 2011.1.159
Caption: Newport News was one of the nation’s busiest shipbuilding hubs during the twentieth century.

Jeff Boedeker, “Virginia Beach”
Courtesy of Jeff Boedeker.
Caption: Virginia Beach, a tourist playground, is Virginia’s largest city.

Jeff Boedeker, “False Cape State Park”
Courtesy of Jeff Boedeker.
Caption: Tidal landscapes like this one are characteristic of the Coastal Plain region.

Piedmont (land at the foot of mountains)

The Piedmont region of Virginia is found at the foot of the Blue Ridge Mountains. In this region west of the Fall Line, rolling hills dominate the landscape. The Piedmont generates tobacco products and information technology; its industries include federal and state government, farming, and the horse industry.

Artist Unknown, “Tobacco Festival, South Boston, Virginia”
Object Number 2000.136.30
Caption: Tobacco, one of the Piedmont’s products, was celebrated in festivals like this one in South Boston.

Chiles Larson, “African American Man Weighing Produce at the Market”
Object Number 2005.327.25
Caption: Growing and selling produce is a major part of the Piedmont’s economy.

Chiles Larson, “Foxhunt”
Object Number: 2005.327.8
Caption: The horse industry is important to the Piedmont’s economy. Here, riders and hounds pursue their prey in a foxhunt.

Jeff Boedeker, “Charlottesville”
Courtesy of Jeff Boedeker.
Caption: The landscape of the Piedmont features gentle rolling hills, like those seen here outside of Charlottesville.

Blue Ridge Mountains

The Blue Ridge Mountains are old, rounded peaks that are part of the larger Appalachian mountain system. Located between the Piedmont and Valley and Ridge regions, this area of Virginia is the source of many of the commonwealth’s rivers. Its main product is apples, and its primary industry is farming.

Chiles Larson, “Apples”
Object Number: 2005.327.1
Caption: Apples are the Blue Ridge Mountain’s most important product.

Jeff Boedeker “Smith Mountain Lake”
Courtesy of Jeff Boedeker.
Caption: Smith Mountain Lake is a beautiful getaway nestled in the Blue Ridge Mountains.

Jeff Boedeker, “ "
Courtesy of Jeff Boedeker.
Caption: The sources of many of Virginia’s rivers are found in the Blue Ridge Mountains

Jeff Boedeker, “Blue Ridge Parkway”
Courtesy of Jeff Boedeker.
Caption: Scenic views like this one attract tourists to the Blue Ridge Parkway.

Valley and Ridge

The Valley and Ridge region includes the Great Valley of Virginia and other valleys separated by mountain ridges. West of the Blue Ridge Mountains, its products include poultry, apples, dairy, and beef. Like the Blue Ridge Mountains, this region’s most important industry is farming.

Jeff Boedeker, “Shenandoah Valley”
Courtesy of Jeff Boedeker.
Caption: Pronounced valleys like the one seen here are characteristic of the Valley and Ridge region.

Jack Jeffers, “Binding Operation, Greenville, Virginia”
Object Number: 1996.81.13
Caption: Agriculture is central to the Valley and Ridge region’s economy.

Jack Jeffers, “Daybreak”
Object Number: 1996.81.88
Caption: Dairy farming is an important industry among the Valley and Ridge region. Here, a woman milks goats early in the morning.

Chiles Larson, “Justin Showalter and his Chicken Farm”
Object Number: 2005.49.2
Caption: Another important industry in the Valley and Ridge region is poultry farming.

Appalachian Plateau (plateau: Area of elevated land that is flat on top)

The Appalachian Plateau is located in the southwestern tip of Virginia and is an elevated portion of the landscape that is flat on top. This region produces coal, and its primary industry is coal mining.

Jeff Boedeker, “Mountain Pass”
Courtesy of Jeff Boedeker.
Caption: Coal mining is an essential industry in the Appalachian Plateau region.

Jeff Boedeker, “Mountain Skyline”
Courtesy of Jeff Boedeker.
Caption: The Appalachian Plateau is characterized by flat land that is at a high elevation.

Jeff Boedeker, “Morning Sky”
Courtesy of Jeff Boedeker.
This region borders Kentucky and Tennessee.