Quite a Pair of Portraits: George Caleb Bingham Paints Mr. and Mrs. Fortney Wyan
Quite a Pair of Portraits: George Caleb Bingham Paints Mr. and Mrs. Fortney Wyan
2022-01-04
Mr. and Mrs. Fortney Wyan. The couple are fully illustrated and described in The Paintings of George Caleb Bingham, by E. Maurice Bloch (see photographs below). The pair and other works by the famed American artist, known for his documentation of the burgeoning political scene, lively traditions, and rich social life west of the Mississippi, are currently on view at Kodner Gallery.
American, Missouri (1811-1879)
George Caleb Bingham (1811–1879) was the first major American artist to be based west of the Mississippi River. He would pursue the duel careers of artist and politician, serving in elected positions for four decades. His family moved from Virginia—where Bingham was born—to the Missouri Territory in 1819, several years before it became a state. Throughout the 1830s and 1840s, Missouri remained at the edge of the American frontier, a departure point for explorers, adventurers, and pioneers heading west. Largely self-taught, Bingham relied on drawing manuals rather than formal academic study for instruction. He began his career as an itinerant portrait painter, traveling to counties along the Missouri River portraying middle-class citizens.
Following this early period, Bingham focused his paintings on the Mississippi and Missouri rivers, celebrating their critically important role as major arteries of transportation and agents of cultural and economic change for the country. He also identified and codified a wide variety of Western character types—boatman, card player, dockhand, fiddler, fur trader, raftman, and weary traveler, among others—and brought them to national attention. Through his paintings, he promoted romantic evocations of the West to a primarily urban, eastern audience.
George Caleb Bingham (American, Missouri, 1811-1879)
Portrait of Jacob Fortney Wyan, 1835
Oil on Board
26 x 22 inches
Illustrated and Described in The Paintings of George Caleb Bingham, Bloch, pg. 37 and 137
Available for Purchase
George Caleb Bingham (American, Missouri, 1811-1879)
Portrait of Mrs. Jacob Fortney Wyan (Nancy Shanks), 1835
Oil on Board
26 x 22 inches
Illustrated and Described in The Paintings of George Caleb Bingham, Bloch, pg. 37 and 137
Cover of The Paintings of George Caleb Bingham.
Mrs. Fortney Wyan is featured in the lower left corner.
The pair are illustrated on page 37, Figures 22 and 24.
And are described in depth on page 137.
American, Missouri (1811-1879)
George Caleb Bingham (1811–1879) was the first major American artist to be based west of the Mississippi River. He would pursue the duel careers of artist and politician, serving in elected positions for four decades. His family moved from Virginia—where Bingham was born—to the Missouri Territory in 1819, several years before it became a state. Throughout the 1830s and 1840s, Missouri remained at the edge of the American frontier, a departure point for explorers, adventurers, and pioneers heading west. Largely self-taught, Bingham relied on drawing manuals rather than formal academic study for instruction. He began his career as an itinerant portrait painter, traveling to counties along the Missouri River portraying middle-class citizens.
Following this early period, Bingham focused his paintings on the Mississippi and Missouri rivers, celebrating their critically important role as major arteries of transportation and agents of cultural and economic change for the country. He also identified and codified a wide variety of Western character types—boatman, card player, dockhand, fiddler, fur trader, raftman, and weary traveler, among others—and brought them to national attention. Through his paintings, he promoted romantic evocations of the West to a primarily urban, eastern audience.
George Caleb Bingham (American, Missouri, 1811-1879)
Portrait of Jacob Fortney Wyan, 1835
Oil on Board
26 x 22 inches
Illustrated and Described in The Paintings of George Caleb Bingham, Bloch, pg. 37 and 137
Available for Purchase
George Caleb Bingham (American, Missouri, 1811-1879)
Portrait of Mrs. Jacob Fortney Wyan (Nancy Shanks), 1835
Oil on Board
26 x 22 inches
Illustrated and Described in The Paintings of George Caleb Bingham, Bloch, pg. 37 and 137
Cover of The Paintings of George Caleb Bingham.
Mrs. Fortney Wyan is featured in the lower left corner.
The pair are illustrated on page 37, Figures 22 and 24.
And are described in depth on page 137.
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