Raftsmen Playing Cards
1847
George Caleb Bingham captures a slice of rugged American frontier life on the Mississippi River. A group of raftsmen take a break from their hard labor to gamble and smoke, completely absorbed in their card game while one man casually poles the raft in the background. The scene is bathed in a serene, golden light that contrasts sharply with the rough-and-tumble characters, a hallmark of the Luminist style. Bingham, who was actually a politician, loved painting the 'common man' of the river, turning everyday river life into high art.
- Technique
- Oil on canvas
- Material
- Canvas
Location: Saint Louis Art Museum
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