Some Art to Celebrate Election Day
If you’re living in the US, you know that today is the day of the 2020 presidential election. I’m perfectly aware that everyone is going to be watching the results come in, and, therefore, won’t have much time for art. So, today, I’m just going to share a few paintings that celebrate American elections. Enjoy!
Undecided Voter by Norman Rockwell - You’re probably very familiar with the work of Norman Rockwell. More than any artist, Rockwell crafted the visual culture of American life in the twentieth century. His drawings, illustrations, and paintings are what most of us think of as classic Americana. His painting entitled The Undecided Voter appeared on the cover of The Saturday Evening Post just before the 1944 presidential election. Here, we see a man in a voting booth who is busily considering if he should support Franklin Delano Roosevelt or Thomas E. Dewey.
Election Day 1844 by Edward Lamson Henry - This piece, which I discovered in the collection of the Detroit Institute of Arts, is a twentieth century depiction of a nineteenth century election. It is an idealized portrait of democracy, painted by an artist who could not possibly remember the election itself. The piece represents a wide street, festooned on either side by American flags and portraits of the candidates. Groups of men—the only legal voters at the time—gather in front of the buildings, preparing to cast their votes.
The County Election by George Caleb Bingham - According to my research, this painting, which is entitled The County Election, represents “what every American supportive of an election understands: that the democratic ideal must be embraced even though uniformed votes could prevail.” The piece depicts the rowdy scene of a nineteenth century election. A group of men have gathered to vote, exhibiting various states of enthusiasm, seriousness, and, in the case of one man, drunkenness. They line up to cast their votes as eager politicians make their final appeals to the citizens. It is a comical but also very serious scene.
Union Soldiers from Pennsylvania Casting Absentee Ballots - Many of us are voting by mail this year, which is out of the ordinary. However, it is not an unprecedented situation. During the 1864 presidential election, many thousands of union soldiers cast absentee ballots, which was highly unusual in a time when people didn’t travel often. This print, published in Harper's Weekly, depicts soldiers lining up to cast their votes.
Election Day in Philadelphia 1815 by John Lewis Krimmel - This painting, which depicts the city of Philadelphia in the full swing of an election in 1815, was executed by German genre painting John Lewis Krimmel. It depicts the election as a public occasion, an excuse for merriment and enthusiasm. Independence Hall is visible in the background, a reminder of the origins of America’s democracy. In between brick walls, crowds of men, women, and children crowd together, celebrating this expression of political power.
Undecided Voter by Norman Rockwell - You’re probably very familiar with the work of Norman Rockwell. More than any artist, Rockwell crafted the visual culture of American life in the twentieth century. His drawings, illustrations, and paintings are what most of us think of as classic Americana. His painting entitled The Undecided Voter appeared on the cover of The Saturday Evening Post just before the 1944 presidential election. Here, we see a man in a voting booth who is busily considering if he should support Franklin Delano Roosevelt or Thomas E. Dewey.
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| Undecided Voter Source: The New Yorker |
Election Day 1844 by Edward Lamson Henry - This piece, which I discovered in the collection of the Detroit Institute of Arts, is a twentieth century depiction of a nineteenth century election. It is an idealized portrait of democracy, painted by an artist who could not possibly remember the election itself. The piece represents a wide street, festooned on either side by American flags and portraits of the candidates. Groups of men—the only legal voters at the time—gather in front of the buildings, preparing to cast their votes.
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| Election Day 1844 Source: Detroit Institute of Arts |
The County Election by George Caleb Bingham - According to my research, this painting, which is entitled The County Election, represents “what every American supportive of an election understands: that the democratic ideal must be embraced even though uniformed votes could prevail.” The piece depicts the rowdy scene of a nineteenth century election. A group of men have gathered to vote, exhibiting various states of enthusiasm, seriousness, and, in the case of one man, drunkenness. They line up to cast their votes as eager politicians make their final appeals to the citizens. It is a comical but also very serious scene.
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| The County Election Source: Saint Louis Art Museum |
Union Soldiers from Pennsylvania Casting Absentee Ballots - Many of us are voting by mail this year, which is out of the ordinary. However, it is not an unprecedented situation. During the 1864 presidential election, many thousands of union soldiers cast absentee ballots, which was highly unusual in a time when people didn’t travel often. This print, published in Harper's Weekly, depicts soldiers lining up to cast their votes.
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| Union Soldiers from Pennsylvania Casting Absentee Ballots Source: Smithsonian Institution Library |
Election Day in Philadelphia 1815 by John Lewis Krimmel - This painting, which depicts the city of Philadelphia in the full swing of an election in 1815, was executed by German genre painting John Lewis Krimmel. It depicts the election as a public occasion, an excuse for merriment and enthusiasm. Independence Hall is visible in the background, a reminder of the origins of America’s democracy. In between brick walls, crowds of men, women, and children crowd together, celebrating this expression of political power.
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| Election Day in Philadelphia 1815 Source: Wikimedia Commons |
Disclaimer: I’m not an art historian or an expert on this topic. The above is my opinion, based on my interpretation of my foreknowledge of art and history. If I’ve done any additional research, I’ll note it above.
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