Artwork
Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln is an oil painting. It dates from 1864 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
About this work
Abraham Lincoln, the 16th US president, seated in a suit in a plain formal setting. Painted in 1864, with close attention to his face and clothing and no bold color or dramatic light. For the soft modeling of light and shadow, look up chiaroscuro.
Subject & Meaning
Executed in 1864, this oil on canvas functions as a formal portrait depicting Abraham Lincoln as its sole main subject.
Executed in 1864, this oil on canvas functions as a formal portrait depicting Abraham Lincoln as its sole main subject. The work's iconography is strictly representational, focusing on the likeness of the sixteenth U.S. President without additional allegorical figures or complex symbolic attributes described in available records. As a portrait from the American nineteenth century, the painting serves primarily as a historical document intended to capture the physical presence and dignity of Lincoln during his presidency.
The composition emphasizes the individual leader rather than abstract concepts, representing him directly as the central figure of national authority during the Civil War era. The straightforward depiction aligns with traditional portraiture conventions of the period, prioritizing accurate facial features and formal presentation to commemorate the sitter.
Technique & Style
This 1864 portrait of Abraham Lincoln is executed in oil on canvas, a standard support and medium for American portraiture of the mid-nineteenth century. The painting measures 76.2 by 63.6 centimetres, presenting the subject in a vertical format suited to a half-length or bust-length likeness. Classified as a portrait, the work follows the conventions of the genre, focusing on the depiction of Lincoln as its main subject. The handling, condition, and finer stylistic qualities of the picture are not documented in the available sources.
History & Provenance
The oil portrait of Abraham Lincoln was painted in 1864 by an American nineteenth-century artist. It later belonged to Hiram Burlingham of New York, and was sold at the American Art Association–Anderson Galleries auction on 11 January 1934 (lot 61), where it was recorded as having previously belonged to Effingham Schieffelin and Samuel P. Avery, Jr. Andrew W. Mellon acquired the painting at that 1934 sale and held it through his estate, which deeded the work to the A.W. Mellon Educational and Charitable Trust in March 1938. The trust gifted the painting to the National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C., in 1947, where it remains in the permanent collection. No exhibition history is noted in the available records.
Context
The 1864 portrait of Abraham Lincoln, by an unidentified American nineteenth-century artist, is of interest mainly for its place within mid-century American portraiture and for its provenance. Its passage from Hiram Burlingham through the 1934 American Art Association sale to Andrew W. Mellon reflects the circulation of Lincoln imagery among private collectors before its acquisition by the National Gallery of Art in 1947. Its inclusion in the Mellon collection illustrates the patronage networks that shaped early twentieth-century American museum formation, situating the work within the broader history of American historical portraiture.
Overview
This oil on canvas painting presents Abraham Lincoln, the sixteenth President of the United States. Depicted in a formal seated pose, he wears a suit, conveying an air of presidential solemnity. Created during a critical period in American history, the artwork provides a direct visual record of Lincoln's appearance, offering insight into the public image of a pivotal national figure.
Artist & collection
