The Wedding Picture

The Wedding Picture

1997
Artist
Bo Bartlett, American, 1955-
Born: Columbus, GA
Work Locations: United States
Object
painting
Medium
Oil paint on linen
Accession Number
2001.690
Credit Line
Gift from Vicki and Kent Logan to the Collection of the Denver Art Museum

Bo Bartlett, The Wedding Picture, 1977. Oil paint on linen. Gift from Vicki and Kent Logan to the Collection of the Denver Art Museum, 2001.690. © Bo Bartlett

Dimensions
height: 84 in, 213.3600 cm; width: 110 in, 279.4000 cm; frame height: 91 1/2 in, 232.4100 cm; frame width: 117 1/2 in, 298.4500 cm
Inscription
On verso "wedding on all edges at center. "1997" center and "Bo Bartlett" center right.
Department
Modern and Contemporary Art
Collection
Modern and Contemporary Art

Bo Bartlett is known for his portrayal of the country’s heartland in an American realist style. In “The Wedding Picture,” a bride and groom stand alone in a rural landscape, engaging in the tradition of cutting their wedding cake. The male figure stares directly at the viewer in a possessive way, while the female remains focused on the task at hand. The sun seems to be setting, as an ominous darkness creeps over the groom’s shoulder, along with a strong wind that has swept his bride’s vail. Only one champagne glass can be seen on the cake table, placed in front of the groom, causing more questions to be raised. The painting leaves the viewer feeling unsettled, with an air of disconnected romance. 

Bo Bartlett attended the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts and graduated from New York University’s film school in 1986.

 

© Bo Bartlett

Exhibition History
  • "Heartland: Paintings and Drawings by Bo Bartlett"—The Columbus Museum, 1/29/03 - 4/20/03
  • Greenville County Museum of Art, 5/28/03 - 9/21/03
  • Frye Art Museum, 12/13/03 - 3/21/04
  • Santa Barbara Museum of Art 6/17/04 - 8/24/04
  • Museum of Modern Art of the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, 9/17/04 - 11/28/04
  • "In Limbo"—University of Denver, Victoria H. Myhren Gallery, 1/13/2005 - 3/11/2005
  • “Disruption: Works from the Vicki and Kent Logan Collection” — Denver Art Museum, 1/13/2022

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