Great Republican Reform Party
Medium
Classification
Department
Smithsonian Collection
Museum
Smithsonian American Art Museum
Credit
National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution
Accession Number
NPG.86.99
Tags
Art Historical Context
In 1856, as the newly formed Republican Party rallied against the expansion of slavery, lithographer Louis Maurer captured the fervor of the moment in *Great Republican Reform Party*. This print depicts a bustling street crowd, alive with supporters wearing ruffled collars and hats, cheering the party's standard-bearer, explorer and presidential candidate John C. Frémont. Frémont, a bearded Major General from the Union Army and famed California pathfinder, stands as a central portrait figure, symbolizing the party's bold reform agenda amid the heated election against Democrat James Buchanan. ...