The Country Election

New York: Goupil & Co., 1854. Image size 550 x 758 mm., (21 7/8 x 29 7/8 inches).  Printed on wove paper.  Margins and legend removed; some restoration to the sky in the upper left, and old paper repair to central right otherwise a strong and highly detailed image. One of the classic American  images of the mid-19th century was based on a painting created by George C. Bingham in 1851-52.  The popularity of the painting, and the demand for the image of American democracy at work resulted in the collaboration of Bingham, Sartain and Irwin.  The outcome was this complex engraving that incorporated etching, stipple engraving, mezzotint engraving and line engraving on the same plate.  The detail, compositional format, and exquisite rendering of figures made The Country Election one of the touchstone images of 19th Century America.  The engraving and printing took place in New York at Goupil & Co., under the direction of Bingham, who oversaw the project. With faults a deep, rich copy of the print, which sometime appears colored.