The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1935-03-08

work familiar 10 most Americans. But because
be never signed his paintings, the name Of the
man himself Is comparatively unknown. Thou
sands who visited the Missouri exhibit In the
Hall Of States II A Century Of Progress exposi-
ton in Chicago in 1898 saw for the first time
an original Of one Of his most famous paintings
and for the first time connected with il the name
Of George Caleb Bingham
But q wider recognition, tardy though it has
been. has come al last 10 the Missouri artist"
II started several years ago when a citizen OF
that state took an option on Bingham's home ar
Arrow Rock and suggested its purchase by the
United Daughters Of the Confederacy as shrine
TO the Southern cause. Three years ago another
AIissourian. scion of q family Intimately con-
nected with the painters career, declared that
Bingham might vel be called ~Missouri's for
gotten artist" for all the honor which il had
paid him. and announced his intention Of starting
2 movement TO revive interest in the man and
his work In 1888 there was a loan show of
Bingham paintings in the Kansas Art institute
and last year the director of the St Louis Art
museum gathered from various parts of the coun-
try representative group of his pictures which
were on exhibition there for several weeks.
Another signal honor came last month when
the Museum Of Modern Arr in New York city
gave show of Binghams work Time Magazine,
featuring the story of this exhibition in its de-
partment on art, declared:
Critics fell over themselves with such phrases
as a modern Delacroix,' last of the Renaissance
tradition rival of David and Ingres.' Only eau
tious bang-haired Royal Cortissoz sounded note
Of doubt in the general acclaim for George Caleb
Bingham: There is no distinction Of style about
his work He was a mildly competent, mildly
Interesting practitioner, whose local legend may
well be revived as matter Of pious courtesy
Mildly competent his work may be but the
elaborate canvases of George Caleb Bingham de-
scribed early life on the Mississippi and Missouri
rivers far more ably than the nuch-touted Cur
rier Ives Autographs. Bingham was one Of
the few painters in the world who was prac-
ticing politician all his life, and he remains
day one Of the few Missouri artists ever TO gain
national fame"
The paradox of his being both artist and a
practicing politician however, is only one Of the
many interesting facts in his career. Bingham was
born on plantation in Augusta county, Virginia,
March 20 1911 When the boy eight years
cid Henry Vest Bingham. his Scotch father. lost
all his money anG moved his family of wife.
seven children and Their grandfather To the lit
tie frontier town Of -S.klin in Howard county,
Missouri From his earliest years the boy dab
bled with pencil and paint brush. He made his
own paints using axle grease, vegetable dyes.
brick dust mixed with oil and even his own
blood obtained by cutting the ends of his slIgers.
year after the arrival of the Bingham family
IN Franklin fortunate circumstance aided the
boys artistic ambition. Across the Missouri
river AT Boonslick Daniel Boone had settled and
I'D the river from St Louis came the artist,
Chester Harding. 70 paint Roones portrait II is
probable that the boy watched the painter at
work saw the likeness of the famous Kentucky
pioDeer grow on the canvas and viewed with
envious wonder the finished product II is more
certain that Harding some Of the sketches
with which the boy had adorned the fence. the
pump and the walls Of the chicken house on his
fathers farm and gave him some much-needed
encouragement
When Bingham was twelve his father died and
Mary Amend Bingham. the thrifty. resourcefu
German housewife took her brood OF children
TO LITTLE farm in Saline county. the only thing
left them after her husbands death. At the age