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The Village Politicians

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Photography by Edward C. Robison III.
The Village Politicians
Photography by Edward C. Robison III.

The Village Politicians

Artist (1786 - 1821)
Dateca. 1819
MediumOil on canvas
Dimensions35 1/2 × 48 1/4 in. (90.2 × 122.6 cm)
Framed: 46 1/8 × 58 1/4 in.
ClassificationsPainting
Credit LineCrystal Bridges Museum of American Art, Bentonville, Arkansas, 2007.5
Accession number 2007.5
On View
On view
ProvenanceAlexander Murray [1755-1821], by 1820. purchased by Private Collection, Detroit, MI, early 1980s; (Antiques and Interiors of Pass Christian, Pass Christian, MS); purchased by Eugene C. Daymude, New Orleans, LA, July 2000; (Christie's, New York, NY), November 20, 2006, lot 105, not sold; purchased by Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, Bentonville, AR, 2007
Label TextIn a village tavern, a group of men converse expressively at a table, while other community members and pets talk, read, and mingle nearby. This painting marks an early example of a genre painting (a scene from everyday life). The 1819 political topics discussed might have been the Panic of 1819, the first major financial crisis in the US, continuing debate about the expansion of slavery, or even then-president James Monroe. Similar community conversations about politics continue today at coffee shops and bars.

En una taberna del pueblo, un grupo de hombres conversan de forma vivaz en la mesa, mientras que otros miembros de la comunidad, algunos de ellos con sus mascotas, hablan, leen y comparten. Esta pintura es uno de los primeros ejemplos de la pintura de género (estampas de la vida cotidiana). Es posible que en 1819 los temas de conversación fuesen, entre otros, el Pánico de 1819 (la primera crisis financiera significativa de los Estados Unidos), el debate interminable de la expansión de la esclavitud, o el entonces presidente de los Estados Unidos, James Monroe. Hoy en día, podemos observar conversaciones similares sobre política en cafés y bares.