18-A Thomas Hart Benton, The Sources of Country Music, 1975
- Study this painting carefully, paying attention to the way the artist has grouped the elements in his work.
- Find five scenes in this painting that show regional musicians. These represent the roots of American country music. Can students identify what type of music each of these represents?
Church and choir music: Three women with a choir director (upper left) are representative of church and choir music.
Appalachian singers: Two barefoot women playing the dulcimer (left) represent Appalachia.
Barn dance: Two fiddlers and dancers (center) are representative of barn dancing.
Singing cowboy: A man with a guitar (right) represents the “singing cowboy.”
African American music of the Deep South: The man with a banjo and a group of women on the distant riverbank (center right) represent African American music of the Deep South.
- How did Benton join these different scenes into one unified composition? He overlapped forms, used the same painting style throughout, repeated colors, and made most of the figures face in toward the center of the painting. Just as all these musical influences came together in American country music, they hold together as a unified composition in this painting.
- How did Benton create a sense of rhythm and movement throughout this composition? Most of the vertical lines and bodies slant to the right, creating visual movement in that direction. The train leans forward as it speeds to the right. Even the telephone poles seem to sway.
- What things and people are making music and sound in this scene? The choir, Appalachian women, banjo player, and cowboy are singing. The train rumbles and whistles, the riverboat whistles, and dancers stamp their feet on a wooden floor. The dulcimer, fiddles, banjo, and guitar are all being played.
- Benton wanted all the musicians to play the same note and sing their varied music in tune. Do you think this painting seems like noisy confusion or are all the parts in harmony?
- What does the steam engine represent? The steam engine represents change—the end of agrarian life as Americans left farms for cities and regional cultures blended together.
- Why did Benton include in the painting a homage to Tex Ritter, the singing cowboy? Ritter helped persuade Benton to paint this picture but died before it was completed.
- Why did Benton not sign this painting? He died before he completed it.
- Before he died, Benton was trying to decide whether he should repaint the train. Why do you think he wanted to do this?
Public art: murals
- Study this painting carefully, paying attention to the way the artist has grouped the elements in his work.
- Find five scenes in this painting that show regional musicians. These represent the roots of American country music. Can students identify what type of music each of these represents?
Church and choir music: Three women with a choir director (upper left) are representative of church and choir music.
Appalachian singers: Two barefoot women playing the dulcimer (left) represent Appalachia.
Barn dance: Two fiddlers and dancers (center) are representative of barn dancing.
Singing cowboy: A man with a guitar (right) represents the “singing cowboy.”
African American music of the Deep South: The man with a banjo and a group of women on the distant riverbank (center right) represent African American music of the Deep South.
- How did Benton join these different scenes into one unified composition? He overlapped forms, used the same painting style throughout, repeated colors, and made most of the figures face in toward the center of the painting. Just as all these musical influences came together in American country music, they hold together as a unified composition in this painting.
- How did Benton create a sense of rhythm and movement throughout this composition? Most of the vertical lines and bodies slant to the right, creating visual movement in that direction. The train leans forward as it speeds to the right. Even the telephone poles seem to sway.
- What things and people are making music and sound in this scene? The choir, Appalachian women, banjo player, and cowboy are singing. The train rumbles and whistles, the riverboat whistles, and dancers stamp their feet on a wooden floor. The dulcimer, fiddles, banjo, and guitar are all being played.
- Benton wanted all the musicians to play the same note and sing their varied music in tune. Do you think this painting seems like noisy confusion or are all the parts in harmony?
- What does the steam engine represent? The steam engine represents change—the end of agrarian life as Americans left farms for cities and regional cultures blended together.
- Why did Benton include in the painting a homage to Tex Ritter, the singing cowboy? Ritter helped persuade Benton to paint this picture but died before it was completed.
- Why did Benton not sign this painting? He died before he completed it.
- Before he died, Benton was trying to decide whether he should repaint the train. Why do you think he wanted to do this?
Public art: murals
- A mural is any piece of artwork painted directly on a wall, ceiling or other large permanent surface. Murals are often site-specific, meaning that they are artwork created to exist in a certain place. Typically, the artist takes the location (including culture and history) into account while planning and creating the artwork.
Have you seen any murals? Where? What are they for?
Have you seen any murals? Where? What are they for?
Compare to the Robert Gould Shaw and the 54th Regiment Memorial by Augustus Saint-Gaudens (10a):
- How are the pieces similar? They were both created for a specific site, they both depict important historical events. Both pieces make use of symbolism (the steam engine, the angel) as well as real, historical figures (Tex Ritter, Robert Gould Shaw)
- How are they different? Benton's mural depicts a generalized history of country music, whereas Saint-Gauden's piece was created to commemorate a specific moment in time.
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