"We Go for the Union"

c. 1840/1850

American 19th Century

Associated Names
American 19th Century

Artist

This painting depicts a workshop scene where a large political poster is being created. On the left, a man stands at a worktable surrounded by tools and materials, including paint cans, brushes, and containers scattered around. He wears a tan vest over a white shirt with the sleeves rolled up. On the right, two men stand next to a large white poster with the words "WE GO FOR THE UNION" above an oval portrait of a gray-haired man against a blue backdrop. The two men both seem to be painting the poster, with the man on the left holding a palette and a thin brush, and the man on the right holding a large can of white paint and a wide brush. The man on the left wears a tan coat and a yellow hat, while the man on the right has paint-covered overalls on over his white shirt and tie. The two men on the left have pale skin and clean-shaven faces, and we see them in profile. The man on the right looks out at us, and he has tan skin, a dark mustache, and a gray beard. In the center there is a window with a grid of rectangular panes, beyond which a vibrant orange and pink sky is visible.

Media Options

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Artwork overview

Artwork history & notes

Provenance

Recorded as from Connecticut. Purchased in 1949 by Edgar William and Bernice Chrysler Garbisch; gift to NGA, 1956.

Associated Names

Exhibition History

1954

  • American Primitive Paintings from the Collection of Edgar William and Bernice Chrysler Garbisch, Part I, National Gallery of Art, Washington, 1954, no. 70.

1955

  • American Primitive Paintings, National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C., 1955.

1962

  • Exhibition of Early American Art, Academy of the Arts, Talbot County Historical Society, Easton, Maryland, 1962, no. 24.

1968

  • The American Primitive Paintings Exhibit, organized by the Triton Museum of Art, Santa Clara, California, for de Saisset Art Gallery, University of Santa Clara, 1968.

1970

  • Extended loan for use by The White House, Washington, D.C., 1970-1973.

1976

  • Extended loan for use by Ambassador Frank Carlucci, U.S. Embassy residence, Lisbon, Portugal, 1976-1979.

1985

  • Extended loan for use by Ambassador Faith Whittlesey, U.S. Embassy residence, Bern, Switzerland, 1985-1988.

1988

  • Extended loan for use by Ambassador Philip D. Winn, U.S. Embassy residence, Bern, Switzerland, 1988-1990.

1991

  • Extended loan for use by Secretary Lynn Martin, U.S. Department of Labor, Washington, D.C., 1991-1993.

1993

  • Extended loan for use by Secretary Robert Reich, U.S. Department of Labor, Washington, D.C., 1993-1997.

1997

  • Extended loan for use by Secretary Andrew Cuomo, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Washington, D.C., 1997-2001.

2014

  • Whitney Biennial 2014, Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, 2014, not in catalogue.

Bibliography

1970

  • American Paintings and Sculpture: An Illustrated Catalogue. National Gallery of Art, Washington, 1970: 154, repro.

1978

  • Candee, Richard M. "Preparing and Mixing Colors in 1812." Antiques 63 (April 1978): 849.

1980

  • American Paintings: An Illustrated Catalogue. National Gallery of Art, Washington, 1980: 303, repro.

1992

  • Chotner, Deborah, with contributions by Julie Aronson, Sarah D. Cash, and Laurie Weitzenkorn. American Naive Paintings. The Collections of the National Gallery of Art Systematic Catalogue. Washington, D.C., 1992: 636-639, color repro. 638.

  • American Paintings: An Illustrated Catalogue. National Gallery of Art, Washington, 1992: 433, repro.

Inscriptions

on sign: WE GO FOR / THE / UNION

Wikidata ID

Q20186508

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