The Courtship of Miss New Hampshire
Michael Bierman (b. 1941)
Concord, NH
Oil on Masonite, 1999
Collection of the New Hampshire Political Library

The artist made the following statement about why he chose to paint the two political party symbols with a cow to represent New Hampshire:

"To the Good People of New Hampshire:
When I first moved to Concord, New Hampshire in 1989, when telling me about the state, those native to the area would smile and say, well this is 'Cow Hampshire' and explain the reason. They would say that there used to be lots of dairys [sic] here, thus a great number of cows seen along the roads and hills. This story and the smiles that always went with it are what set the tone for the lovely cow in the painting. Make no mistake - she is certainly courted and wooed during 'New Hampshire's First Primary In The Nation.'"