In this sentimental work from 1939, Benton expresses his admiration for the rural lifestyle of the Midwest. He highlights the connection between man and the land by depicting two figures enjoying a leisurely trip on a riverboat. Created a few years after relocating to Missouri with his family, this piece features a poignant foreground image of Benton’s son, seen from behind holding a fishing rod.

With brilliant draftsmanship, Benton uses smooth horizontal lines to depict a tranquil, silver river, its calm surface only gently disrupted by the rhythmic oars of the boatmen as they head downstream. Despite claiming to reject modernism, the figures in this work have a structured, muscular appearance, subtly revealing the influence of cubists such as Georges Braque and Pablo Picasso on Benton.

The artist revealed that this lithograph was based on drawings made during a 1939 float trip on the White River in the Ozarks. During the 1930s, he took twice-yearly float trips—every spring and summer—in this location. By choosing to create this lithograph of a private family trip, Benton immerses the viewer in his world and shares a moment of serene family togetherness.