Bingham, George Caleb << BIHNG uhm, jawrj KAY luhb >> (1811-1879), was a leading American painter of genre subjects (scenes from everyday life). His paintings are known for their portrayal of different types of people in natural settings.
Bingham was born on March 20, 1811, in Augusta County, Virginia. His family moved to Franklin, Missouri, when he was 8 years old. In 1838, he went to Philadelphia to study art. Bingham then returned to Missouri and began a series of paintings of river life. His preparatory drawings for this series show that he was an excellent draftsman. He carefully organized his paintings using patterns that followed artistic principles. Bingham’s election scenes are remarkable studies of life in frontier towns. Bingham died on July 7, 1879.
