Taking a new look at Missouri's master of American art

An exhibit of seldom-seen works by George Caleb Bingham — MU's first professor of art — will give new insight into the complex character of one of the first great American painters. The Museum of Art and Archaeology presents Exploration, Interpretation and the Works of George Caleb Bingham from June 9 through August 19. The free public exhibit marks the 100th anniversary of the College of Arts and Science.

Gathered from seven collections, the pieces examine the variety of Bingham's works — genre scenes, portraits and allegorical subjects — and explore the tensions that accompanied Westward expansion during the 19th century.

Mostly self-educated, Bingham supported himself for much of his career by painting portraits. He is known widely for paintings of fur traders, boatmen and settlers, as well as images of the political process in rural areas.

"On first glance, his picture of life in 19th-century Missouri appears harmless," says guest curator Kristin Schwain, assistant professor, Art History and Archaeology. "Rural folk dancing on rafts while floating down the river and simple townspeople struggling to figure out the democratic process present an image of a simpler time, not yet encumbered by the advance of industry, technology, women's suffrage and civil rights; however, a closer look at Bingham's work reveals that picture to be a mirage."

Bingham had no small opinions. Implicit in his paintings are the tensions that permeated American life during that time: dynamic changes in gender relations, ethnic conflict, the advance of modern technology and strife that led to the Civil War. In many ways, Bingham embodies the divisions of his era. He was a slave-owning, ardent Unionist who paid a price for his Union views, yet he painted canvases critical of Union, not Confederate, actions.

"By calling attention to these tensions, I hope we can create a more nuanced and honest look at life in pre- and post-Civil War Missouri, which will, in turn, shed light on issues we continue to face in the 21st century," Schwain says.

Of special interest on the subject of gender relations are Bingham's two portraits of Vinnie Ream, the first woman artist to receive a federal commission. Ream created a six-foot marble sculpture of Abraham Lincoln unveiled in the Capitol Building before a national and international audience, but, in one of the portraits, Bingham painted her in classical style as an allegorical figure — possibly a muse of art — rather than as a pioneer of female artists.

One of Bingham's more unusual works in the exhibit was painted over a photograph and deals with the issue of separation of church and state. The subject of Major Dean in Jail is Abner Holton Dean, a Baptist preacher imprisoned for preaching the gospel without having sworn a loyalty oath to the Union.

To offer multiple interpretations of Bingham's works, Schwain directed senior students of art theory and criticism in MU's Department of Art History and Archaeology as they prepared multiple explanations of the works.

While telling the stories behind the oil paintings, the students' signed panels draw attention to the interpretive power of exhibitions and make viewers aware that they have the right to question interpretations. "Going to a museum should not be a passive form of entertainment," Schwain says.

"I hope this exhibit will give people different ways of seeing Bingham and his works," said Alex Barker, director of the museum. "Both Bingham and the works collected here reflect the many facets and contradictions of Missouri during his time."

The University acquired many Bingham paintings that were later lost in an 1892 fire that destroyed the main academic building. In 1910, the University mounted one of the largest recorded exhibitions of Bingham's works.

Exhibit hours are Tuesday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday, noon to 4 p.m. The museum is located on campus at the corner of Ninth Street and University Avenue.

Bingham Exhibit

• Captured by Indians, Saint Louis Art Museum (companion to Belated Wayfarers)
• Belated Wayfarers, Saint Louis Art Museum
• The Dull Story, Saint Louis Art Museum
• Portrait of Miss Vinnie Ream, Wisconsin State Historical Society, Madison
• Portrait of Miss Vinnie Ream, State Historical Society of Missouri, Columbia
• Major Dean in Jail, William Jewell College, Liberty, Mo.
• The Concealed Enemy, Stark Museum of Art, Orange, Texas
• Portrait of James Madison Gordon, MU Museum of Art and Archaeology
• Portrait of Thomas Withers Nelson, MU Museum of Art and Archaeology
• Portrait of Thomas Miller (Bingham's only known miniature), State Historical Society of Missouri, Columbia
• Original engraving plate for Martial Law, or Order No. 11, State Historical Society of Missouri, Columbia
• Hand-colored engraving of Martial Law, or Order No. 11, State Historical Society of Missouri, Columbia
• Copy by W.F. Hardy of Daniel Boone Escorting Settlers through the Cumberland Gap, City of Columbia, Mo.

Links

Museum of Art and Archaeology   [map and directions]
State Historical Society of Missouri   [map and directions]

St. Louis Art Museum
Wisconsin State Historical Society
William Jewell College
Stark Museum of Art
City of Columbia, Missouri

Department of Art History and Archaeology