Raftsmen Playing Cards by George Caleb Bingham

George Caleb Bingham is an artist Missourians can be proud to call our own. Bingham painted in the mid-nineteenth century, and his works are still very popular today. The St. Louis Art Museum houses several of his paintings, one of which is Raftsmen Playing Cards.

Historians classify Bingham’s work as both realist and romantic, and Raftsmen Playing Cards shows why. On one hand, the subject matter is what is there in front of Bingham – daily life on the Mississippi – and the scene is painted with great attention to detail. On the other hand, there is a dreamy combination of color and lighting that provokes an emotional longing for “days gone by,” one of the characteristics of romantic thought.

Even though critics often scoff at Bingham, one obvious reason for the popularity of Bingham’s work is that it is understandable. Although not many of us have rafted down the Mississippi, the action of the characters is familiar nonetheless. There is something to be said for works of art that are not abstracted into incomprehensible oblivion.

Notice the balance of the painting. The horizon is at the center with earth and sky taking up uniform space on the canvas. The raft is going right down the middle of the river, with equal parts of mountains and trees on both sides. The men and objects on the raft are also positioned for a symmetrical balance. Sometimes a painting will show nature getting the best of mankind, but in this scene we have a temporary truce. All is quiet. Tranquility and calm rest on the waters with no threat of danger or strife. The men are exercising dominion over the river, and yet the river seems content with the relationship…at least for now.

With the lack of danger and struggle also comes a certain sense of physical boredom. The man on the far left catches our attention because of what he is doing – nothing! One man steers the raft and four men are involved in a card game, but this man is just sitting there by himself. This figure reminds me of The Thinker by Rodin, but that statue was not even created yet when Bingham painted this piece. Is the man halfway to a nap, or is he thinking of a solution to a crossword puzzle? Is he daydreaming about home, or is he in prayer confessing his sin?

There is a certain sense of historical irony to the painting. The calm river depicts a life where things move slowly, and change does not happen at a rapid pace. When you consider that these men were navigating a river in much the same way that Moses may have done so in Egypt, certainly these men did not think of technological change as something that happens fast. However, this painting was created in 1847, nearly forty years after the first steamboat churned through the waters of New York by the inventive hands of Robert Fulton. Six men slowly meandering along a river for commercial reasons would soon be a thing of the past, even within their own lifetimes. The era of the steamboat was about to change the whole business of river transportation. Life was about to move a whole lot faster. Are these men prepared for such changes?

The painting also casts a vision of male camaraderie that may be going the way of the dinosaur. Imagine the relationship skill necessary for six men to spend long periods of time in close proximity to one another. They would actually have to talk (gasp!) and show consideration to one another. At least one of them would prepare meals, as evidenced by the fire pit at the bottom. Make no mistake – these are manly men who navigate rivers and sleep under the stars. But, there is no “Curse of Brokeback Mountain” that blocks these men from authentic masculine friendship. In the shadow of the homosexual movement, are men today even allowed close friendships in close quarters without a questioning of their own sexuality? One of the secondary effects of the homosexual agenda in our culture is the slow death of deep male friendship. Now, I certainly don’t think that was on the mind of Bingham when he painted this piece, but it comes to my mind nonetheless.

The lazy days of summer are about to settle upon us. Bingham’s painting of men floating down a river should kindle within us a desire to get outdoors and enjoy God’s creation. If even for a few days, slow down from the fast pace of modern life, and reconnect with the people around you. Teach your kids how to play Uno, or call up your wordsmith mother for a game of back-porch Scrabble. Go visit that old friend and ask forgiveness for an old grievance. Go off by yourself, sit under a tree and do some thinking about God and your relationship with Him. These suggestions might demand that the television and video games go in the closet for the summer. But let’s be honest- if the raftsmen who played cards got along without them, can’t we?

W. Scott Lamb is a pastor with Providence Baptist Church in South St. Louis County, MO. He and his wife Pearl enjoy the challenges and pleasures of raising their four sons. Feel free to contact Scott at www.pbcstlouis.com.