Standing Lincoln
Encyclopedia
Abraham Lincoln: The Man (also called Standing Lincoln) is a bronze
statue in Lincoln Park, Chicago
. Completed by Augustus Saint-Gaudens
in 1887, it has been described as the most important sculpture of Abraham Lincoln
from the nineteenth century. Abraham Lincoln II
, Lincoln's only grandson, was present at the unveiling. The artist also created the Seated Lincoln
sculpture in Grant Park
.
The sculpture depicts a contemplative Lincoln rising from a chair, about to give a speech. It is set upon a pedestal
and exedra
designed by architect Stanford White
. The monument was a favorite of Hull House
founder Jane Addams
, who once wrote, "I walked the wearisome way from Hull-House to Lincoln Park ... in order to look at and gain magnanimous counsel from the statue." Journalist Andrew Ferguson
discusses the statue at length in his book Land of Lincoln, writing that the statue presents "a sort of world-weariness that seems almost kind". The City of Chicago awarded the monument landmark status on December 12, 2001.
Replicas of this statue stand at Lincoln's Tomb in Springfield, Illinois
, and on Parliament Square
in London, England.
Bronze
Bronze is a metal alloy consisting primarily of copper, usually with tin as the main additive. It is hard and brittle, and it was particularly significant in antiquity, so much so that the Bronze Age was named after the metal...
statue in Lincoln Park, Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
. Completed by Augustus Saint-Gaudens
Augustus Saint-Gaudens
Augustus Saint-Gaudens was the Irish-born American sculptor of the Beaux-Arts generation who most embodied the ideals of the "American Renaissance"...
in 1887, it has been described as the most important sculpture of Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln was the 16th President of the United States, serving from March 1861 until his assassination in April 1865. He successfully led his country through a great constitutional, military and moral crisis – the American Civil War – preserving the Union, while ending slavery, and...
from the nineteenth century. Abraham Lincoln II
Abraham Lincoln II
Abraham "Jack" Lincoln II , was the middle of three children of Robert Todd Lincoln and Mary Eunice Harlan, and the only grandson of Abraham Lincoln...
, Lincoln's only grandson, was present at the unveiling. The artist also created the Seated Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln: The Head of State
Abraham Lincoln: The Head of State is a bronze statue in Grant Park, in Chicago. Created by Augustus Saint-Gaudens and completed by his work shop in 1908, it was intended by the artist to to evoke the loneliness and burden of command felt by Lincoln during his presidency...
sculpture in Grant Park
Grant Park (Chicago)
Grant Park, with between the downtown Chicago Loop and Lake Michigan, offers many different attractions in its large open space. The park is generally flat. It is also crossed by large boulevards and even a bed of sunken railroad tracks...
.
The sculpture depicts a contemplative Lincoln rising from a chair, about to give a speech. It is set upon a pedestal
Pedestal
Pedestal is a term generally applied to the support of a statue or a vase....
and exedra
Exedra
In architecture, an exedra is a semicircular recess or plinth, often crowned by a semi-dome, which is sometimes set into a building's facade. The original Greek sense was applied to a room that opened onto a stoa, ringed with curved high-backed stone benches, a suitable place for a philosophical...
designed by architect Stanford White
Stanford White
Stanford White was an American architect and partner in the architectural firm of McKim, Mead & White, the frontrunner among Beaux-Arts firms. He designed a long series of houses for the rich and the very rich, and various public, institutional, and religious buildings, some of which can be found...
. The monument was a favorite of Hull House
Hull House
Hull House is a settlement house in the United States that was co-founded in 1889 by Jane Addams and Ellen Gates Starr. Located in the Near West Side of , Hull House opened its doors to the recently arrived European immigrants. By 1911, Hull House had grown to 13 buildings. In 1912 the Hull...
founder Jane Addams
Jane Addams
Jane Addams was a pioneer settlement worker, founder of Hull House in Chicago, public philosopher, sociologist, author, and leader in woman suffrage and world peace...
, who once wrote, "I walked the wearisome way from Hull-House to Lincoln Park ... in order to look at and gain magnanimous counsel from the statue." Journalist Andrew Ferguson
Andrew Ferguson (journalist)
Andrew Ferguson is an American journalist and author.He is senior editor of The Weekly Standard and a columnist for Bloomberg News based in Washington, D.C.....
discusses the statue at length in his book Land of Lincoln, writing that the statue presents "a sort of world-weariness that seems almost kind". The City of Chicago awarded the monument landmark status on December 12, 2001.
Replicas of this statue stand at Lincoln's Tomb in Springfield, Illinois
Springfield, Illinois
Springfield is the third and current capital of the US state of Illinois and the county seat of Sangamon County with a population of 117,400 , making it the sixth most populated city in the state and the second most populated Illinois city outside of the Chicago Metropolitan Area...
, and on Parliament Square
Parliament Square
Parliament Square is a square outside the northwest end of the Palace of Westminster in London. It features a large open green area in the middle, with a group of trees to its west. It contains statues of famous statesmen and is the scene of rallies and protests, as well as being a tourist...
in London, England.