- George Caleb Bingham, Self-Portrait, 1834, Oil on canvas, 28 3/8 x 22 11/16 in. (72.1 x 57.6 cm), Saint Louis Art Museum, Eliza McMillan Trust, Accession No. 57:193. Used with permission
The year 2011 marks the 200th birthday of George Caleb Bingham. As an artist and as a man, he was unique. His birth deserves celebration. What other American artist of his generation painted works so indelibly etched into American consciousness as Fur Traders Descending the Missouri, Jolly Flatboatmen, or his election series of Stump Speaking, The County Election, and Verdict of the People? What other American artist served his country as legislator, treasurer, police commissioner, and victims’ rights advocate, who even rid a county of the Ku Klux Klan. The life of no other American artist compares to George Caleb Bingham.
To understand the art of George Caleb Bingham is to comprehend the history of a nation. He was a witness to history. Everyone is a witness of the events of their own time. Yet Bingham actively participated and more importantly, preserved the past in art with such skill and authenticity that his portrayals are as fresh today as they were more than a century and a half ago.
To better understand this unique man and his contributions, a chronology of his life and art works, a progressive biography, and links for further information accompany this site.