The Saint Louis Art Museum announces the October 12 opening of George Caleb Bingham: The Making of "The County Election", a captivating exhibition exploring the creation of the Missouri artist's celebrated painting. Nearly 30 drawings, prints and engraving plates, on view together with The County Election painting, reveal Bingham's careful process for producing one of his greatest successes.
The refined and highly detailed quality of the drawings featured in the exhibition demonstrates the attention Bingham devoted to the characterization of his figures. Used to work out various gestures and poses, the drawings were methodically executed with a three-step technique of pencil drawing, ink wash and dry brush. Their deliberate style indicates that they were part of an advanced stage of planning.
The County Election painting is the culmination of this thoughtful preparation. With his figures arranged in a powerful scene of democratic expression, Bingham capitalized on the national fascination with politics and satisfied the widespread taste for scenes of varied and contrasting characters.
The exhibition also includes images of the painting's underdrawings, exposed using infrared light. Although similar in scale and general outline to the drawings on paper, these underdrawings are more schematic and suggestive.
Bingham later transformed the The County Election painting into a widely circulated print, making the composition affordable and available to a larger portion of the population. In addition to maximizing awareness of his artistic talents, the populist distribution of his work expressed a core value of democracy, his very subject.
The County Election print was so successful that Bingham painted two additional election subjects, The Verdict of the People and Stump Speaking, producing a three-part Election Series. Prints of all three works are featured in the exhibition.
Curated by Andrew Walker, assistant director for curatorial affairs and curator of American art, and Janeen Turk, curatorial assistant, George Caleb Bingham: The Making of "The County Election" will be on view in Cohen Gallery (313) through March 9, 2008. -- www.stlouis.art.museum
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