Raftsmen Playing Cards by Bingham: American Realism Analysis

Introduction to the Painting

George Caleb Bingham's 1847 oil painting Raftsmen Playing Cards is an amusing and distinctly American work. Executed in oil on canvas at 3'11" by 5'9½", it resides at the Saint Louis Art Museum in Missouri. The painting is wonderful in its vivid color and detail, but there is something more compelling about it: the work is so obviously and uniquely American. These rough-hewn men playing cards could not exist anywhere but on an American river, and that is quite clear from the moment anyone first views the piece.

The painting depicts a large, flat raft of the type poled along the Mississippi River in the mid-nineteenth century. The raft serves as the compositional glue that holds the characters together, and the characters are the main focus. Dressed in bright colors, the men playing cards — and those watching — are the central point of the work. In various attitudes of work and rest, the figures converge around two of their companions engaged in a card game. Each man on the raft has a distinct and discernible personality; it is clear that Bingham was hoping to create more than a genre scene. He was attempting to incorporate vivid caricatures of American character types on a raft floating down a heavily wooded river.

Only one man works, and he has his back to the viewer as he steadily poles the raft along the river. The others surround the two card players, watching intently, and perhaps scheming about how to relieve the winner of his newfound winnings. Each subject is rendered with unique features, clothing, and attitude, making every man a real character in his own right. Lighting keeps the main subject in focus, while the riverbank and the river in the distance appear slightly hazy and atmospheric. It is clear that Bingham wanted the focus to center on the action aboard the raft; the background exists for setting and mood. Dressed in rough shirts and pants, some without shoes, these men are coarse characters who enjoy each other's company — though the two figures glancing over the card players' shoulders suggest they are not quite to be trusted. There is something faintly scheming about them, even in this otherwise benign setting.

American Realism and Historical Context

Raftsmen Playing Cards is a fine example of American Realism at its best. The minute detail of the figures and the raft, the careful attention to the riverbank, and the misty mountains in the distance are all executed with deftness and a genuine concern for realism. Bingham even took the time to recreate distinct personalities for his river men, which become quite apparent upon close inspection. There is a dreamlike quality to the surroundings, yet the main subjects stand out in stark relief, revealing Bingham's realistic style — one that followed him throughout his career.

At a time when photographs were not commonly available, Bingham captured scenes as if shot with a camera, allowing people around the world to see what life was like on the American frontier. His style is consistent with other Realists of the period, who strove to depict scenes as they truly were and to render people as they actually looked. As the textbook notes, "The demand was for pictures that preserved the myth of simple, happy, rustic life, rendered with close attention to circumstantial detail and without any hint of social tension" (Honour & Fleming 689). Bingham's works fit this description perfectly, and he stands as one of the finest examples of a self-taught painter who mastered Realism.

His work is also an excellent example of what American Realist painters were producing at this time. Painters such as Daniel Huntington, Robert W. Weir, and John G. Chapman also worked in this genre during Bingham's era. Their common thread was a love for the West and an ability to capture its excitement and character for art patrons back East, who wanted realistic paintings depicting their romanticized vision of the American frontier. Other paintings of this era captured real-life heroes such as Daniel Boone and political figures of the day, all in keeping with the realistic and often romantic view of frontier life.

Conclusion

George Caleb Bingham and his work are excellent examples of American art as it began to grow and mature. The painting may be somewhat romantic in theme and texture, but ultimately it is a realistic look at an exciting and new period in American life — the era of westward expansion and prosperity. America was still raw around the edges, and this painting captures that quality as well. Bingham's work is classically American: detailed, a touch romantic, and altogether compelling.

References

Honour, Hugh, and John Fleming. The Visual Arts: A History.