The Sources of Country Music 1975

Thomas Hart Benton, sometime in the twentieth century, gave us this painting loaded with people playing music. It's like a snapshot of a moment that never really existed but feels true somehow. I can imagine Benton, brush in hand, trying to capture the feeling of a whole culture. What would it be like to paint so many figures? All those people singing, dancing, and playing instruments, how does it feel to paint this joy? Look at the guitar player and the fiddlers; they’re not just standing there; they’re alive with the music. The color palette feels warm and earthy, like the soil itself. The figures are rendered with a kind of sculptural quality. It reminds me of how art can be a way of preserving memories and creating myths. Benton's work reminds me that we're all part of a bigger conversation. We add our own voices to a song that's been going on for centuries.