Skip to main content
Smithsonian sunburst Smithsonian 3D Digitization
  • Explore
  • Collections
  • About
    • Analytics Dashboard
    • Educator Tools
    • Internships
    • Open Source Resources
    • How to Use the 3D Viewer
    • Videos
  • Labs
  • Sponsors

Abraham Lincoln

Object Details

Exhibition Label
Born Hardin County, Kentucky
Leonard Wells Volk made this life mask of Abraham Lincoln in 1860, before Lincoln began his run for the
presidency. Volk had wanted to create a bust of him to add to his collection of American statesmen, but Lincoln did not have time to pose. Poet and editor Richard Watson Gilder, who owned a bronze version of the work, wrote after Lincoln’s assassination, “This bronze doth keep the very form and mold / Of our great martyr’s face. Yes, this is he: / That brow all wisdom and benignity . . . .”
Nacido en el condado de Hardin, Kentucky
Leonard Wells Volk tomó este molde de la cara de Lincoln en 1860, antes de que este se postulara para
la presidencia. Volk quería crear un busto de él para añadirlo a su colección de estadistas estadounidenses, pero Lincoln no tenía tiempo para posar. El poeta y editor Richard Watson Gilder, quien poseía una version de la obra en bronce, escribió después del asesinato de
Lincoln: “Este bronce en verdad conserva las formas del rostro de nuestro gran mártir. Sí, es él: esa frente que es toda sabiduría y bondad . . .”.
Provenance
National Museum of American History (now National Museum of American History); transferred to NPG 1971
Date
1860 (cast 1917)
Cast after
Leonard Wells Volk, 1828 - 1895
Sitter
Abraham Lincoln, 12 Feb 1809 - 15 Apr 1865
Topic
Mask\Life mask
Abraham Lincoln: Male
Abraham Lincoln: Law and Crime\Lawyer
Abraham Lincoln: Military and Intelligence\Soldier
Abraham Lincoln: Politics and Government\Government official\President of US
Abraham Lincoln: Social Welfare and Reform\Reformer\Environmentalist
Abraham Lincoln: Business and Finance\Businessperson\Merchant
Abraham Lincoln: Politics and Government\Government official\US Congressman\Illinois
Abraham Lincoln: Politics and Government\Government official\Surveyor
Abraham Lincoln: Politics and Government\Government official\State Senator\Illinois
Abraham Lincoln: Politics and Government\Government official\Postmaster
Abraham Lincoln: Business and Finance\Tradesman\Boat builder
Portrait
See more items in
National Portrait Gallery Collection
Exhibition
America's Presidents (Reinstallation September 2017)
On View
NPG, West Gallery 240
Credit Line
National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution; transfer from the National Museum of American History
Data Source
National Portrait Gallery
Object number
NPG.71.24
Type
Sculpture
Restrictions & Rights
CC0
Medium
Plaster
Dimensions
14.6 x 21.6 x 23.5cm (5 3/4 x 8 1/2 x 9 1/4")
Record ID
npg_NPG.71.24
Metadata Usage
CC0
GUID
http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/sm49a4a8ae2-cacf-4258-90b2-79eb96501c3d

Related Object Groups

  • Abraham Lincoln

    Abraham Lincoln

  • Abraham Lincoln Volk Life Mask

    Presidential Portraits

This image is in the public domain (free of copyright restrictions). You can copy, modify, and distribute this work without contacting the Smithsonian. For more information, visit the Smithsonian's Open Access page.
We also suggest that users:
  • Give attribution to the Smithsonian.
  • Contribute back any modifications or improvements.
  • Do not mislead others or misrepresent the datasets or its sources.
  • Be responsible.
International media Interoperability Framework
IIIF provides researchers rich metadata and media viewing options for comparison of works across cultural heritage collections. Visit the IIIF page to learn more.
View manifest View in Mirador Viewer
3D Model
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Twitter
  • YouTube
  • Voyager GitHub
  • Cook GitHub
  • Digitization Program Office
  • Privacy
  • Terms of Use

Link to homepage

Back to Top