Artist/Maker
Daniel Chester French
(1850 - 1931)
Depicted
Abraham Lincoln
(American, 1809 – 1865)
Model for Abraham Lincoln (1809–1865)
1919-1920
Plaster
Overall: 52 1/2 × 32 × 36 in. (133.4 × 81.3 × 91.4 cm)
Part (Base): 24 × 28 × 37 in. (61 × 71.1 × 94 cm)
Part (Base): 24 × 28 × 37 in. (61 × 71.1 × 94 cm)
Gift of Mrs. William Penn Cresson (Margaret French)
1954.79
American sculptor Daniel Chester French created this colossal plaster head of Abraham Lincoln, the only full-size model for the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, DC. The future United States president became a national phenomenon in New York City. When Lincoln arrived in Manhattan in 1860 to deliver a speech at Copper Union, the former Illinois representative was virtually unknown. His address, expressing his belief that the Federal government had the right to limit slavery’s expansion, propelled Lincoln to the presidency.
DescriptionPortrait head: Full-size plaster maquette for head of Abraham Lincoln for the colossal marble statue at the Lincoln Memorial, Washington, DC.ClassificationsSCULPTURE
