Raftsmen Playing Cards, George Caleb Bingham, 1847

George Caleb Bingham presents an idyllic view of raftsmen passing time during a river journey. One pilots the flatboat, while other crew members are absorbed by an early morning card game on the deck. Though the river’s surface appears calm, a snag, or tree limb protruding from the surface of the water, hints at the dangers the river could pose to those who navigate its waters. Bingham’s views of everyday life on the river attracted the patronage of both local and national audiences.