"We Go for the Union"

The painting entered the National Gallery of Art's collection through the 1956 gift of Edgar William and Bernice Chrysler Garbisch, who had acquired it in 1949 from Connecticut. As documented in the museum's provenance, the work remains part of the institution's holdings, where it is cataloged with dimensions of 46.2 cm by 61.5 cm. The piece is classified within the American 19th-century portrait genre, reflecting the artistic and cultural milieu of the period. Its presence in a major national collection underscores its significance as a representative example of early American portraiture, though specific critical commentary on its reception is not detailed in the available records.

The oil on canvas presents an interior scene illuminated by a large window. Within the room three figures are engaged in distinct tasks: one is washing at a basin, another holds a paintbrush and palette while studying a prominent sign, and a third, dressed in an apron, carries a can. The composition centers on the sign that declares “We Go for the Union” and displays a portrait of an additional individual.

The work juxtaposes everyday labor with a political declaration. The figure with the brush appears to contemplate the slogan, suggesting an artistic or ideological alignment with the unionist message. The presence of the washer and the laborer in apron underscores a connection between ordinary work and collective purpose, hinting at a broader social commentary on solidarity.

While not widely reproduced, the painting serves as a visual record of how Romantic artists incorporated political themes into domestic settings. It illustrates the era’s tendency to merge personal narrative with public discourse, offering scholars insight into the interplay between art, labor, and nationalist rhetoric in the nineteenth century.