Existing comment:
Thomas Hart Benton
Brideship (Colonial Brides), ca 1927-28
Long after the establishment of the United States, many Americans -- including Benton -- remained fascinated with the nation's colonial beginnings. Brideship is part of the American Historical Epic -- the artist's first mural cycle, conceived in 1922 to "present a people's history."
The painting depicts an episode from the early 1620s when the Virginia Company shipped 147 "younge, handsome, and honestly educated Maides" from England to Jamestown to serve as bridges for the lonely settlers. Newly arrived, a red-haired maiden steps out on the bustling wharf and looks at a small coin in her hand. The game of chance that brought her to the New World -- a metaphorical flip of the coin -- appears to have cast her lot with the man at bottom left, who beckons to her with talon-like fingers. The model for the "bride" was the Benton's own wife, Rita, who contributed to the family income by making hats. Adding a humorous touch, the colonial maiden wears a fashionable chapeau of the 1920s. |