George Caleb Bingham public lectures

Thursday, June 28, 2007
6:00 p.m.
106 Pickard Hall, Museum of Art and Archaeology [map, parking, directions]

A free public lecture on the artwork and life of George Caleb Bingham will provide historical details about Missouri’s master artist.

Joan Stack, curator of the State Historical Society of Missouri, will present “A Window into the Domestic Life of George Caleb Bingham: Infant Deaths, Infertility and The Thread of Life” on June 28 at 6 p.m., 106 Pickard Hall in MU’s Museum of Art and Archaeology.

Although George Caleb Bingham is best known for his portraits and genre paintings, he produced several artworks that provide viewers with insight into his personal life. This lecture will focus on these paintings, which include The Thread of Life, an unusual allegorical picture by Bingham.

Thursday, July 26, 2007
6:00 p.m.
106 Pickard Hall, Museum of Art and Archaeology [map, parking, directions]

W.R. Wood, Professor Emeritus, MU Department of Anthropology, will present “Missouri in Bingham’s Formative Years: The Artwork of Charles-Alexandre Lesueur and Karl Bodmer” on July 26 at 6 p.m., 106 Pickard Hall in MU’s Museum of Art and Archaeology.

Two early artists created priceless images of Missouri in the early nineteenth century. In 1826 Charles-Alexandre Lesuer traveled through southeastern Missouri’s lead district, where he sketched the countryside, the Mississippi and its boats, homes and homesteads, mines, and people. When Karl Bodmer accompanied Prince Maximilian up the Mississippi and Missouri Rivers in 1832, he created sketches and watercolors of Missouri towns, Cahokia mounds, and views along the rivers. Together these images illustrate the scenes and everyday lives of the inhabitants of Missouri during the time when Bingham was growing to manhood.

The talks are part of the museum’s exhibit of seldom-seen works of George Caleb Bingham, which is on display through August 19.

lecture series postcard (pdf)

Sponsored by MU's Museum of Art and Archaeology