The County Election by George Caleb Bingham

The County Election 1846

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painting, plein-air, oil-paint

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painting

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plein-air

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oil-paint

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landscape

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group-portraits

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romanticism

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genre-painting

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history-painting

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academic-art

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mixed media

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realism

Copyright: Public domain

George Caleb Bingham captured the feverish drama of democracy in action in his painting, "The County Election." The raised hands, a gesture as old as civilization itself, signify the act of voting. In ancient Rome, the raised hand declared allegiance, while in religious art, it symbolizes divine blessing. Here, in 19th-century America, it represents civic participation, yet tinged with the chaos of a boisterous gathering, where the promise of democracy intersects with more primal human instincts. Notice the figure slumped in dejection, a mirror to our own anxieties about the democratic process, its fragility, and the ever-present potential for disillusionment. This scene echoes the timeless dance between order and disorder, hope and despair, a reminder that democracy is not a static achievement, but a continuous, and sometimes turbulent, negotiation. The raised hand, therefore, is a potent symbol, a visual echo of our collective aspirations and vulnerabilities.

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