Statue of Abraham Lincoln (Rotunda, Capitol)
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| Statue of Abraham Lincoln (Rotunda, Capitol) | |
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| Title | Statue of Abraham Lincoln (Rotunda, Capitol) |
| Artist | Vinnie Ream |
| Year | 1871 |
| Medium | Marble |
| Height | 6 ft 4 in |
| City | Washington, D.C. |
| Museum | United States Capitol Rotunda |
Statue of Abraham Lincoln (Rotunda, Capitol) is a marble sculpture by Vinnie Ream depicting the 16th President Abraham Lincoln. Commissioned by the United States Congress after the American Civil War, the statue occupies a prominent niche in the United States Capitol Rotunda (Capitol) and has been associated with national commemorations, political ceremonies, and artistic debates involving prominent figures of the Reconstruction era. The work connects to broader narratives involving legislators, sculptors, and preservationists from the late 19th century through the present.
History
The commission followed public petitions to Ulysses S. Grant's administration and debates within the Thirty-ninth United States Congress and the Fortieth United States Congress over memorialization of Abraham Lincoln after his assassination following John Wilkes Booth's act at Ford's Theatre. The appropriation for the statue was considered alongside funding for the Lincoln Memorial and other monuments such as the Statue of Liberty and memorials to George Washington and Thomas Jefferson. Vinnie Ream, a young sculptor supported by patrons connected to the Republican Party and lawmakers including Galusha A. Grow and Schuyler Colfax, received the commission amid controversies involving rivals like Clark Mills and debates in committees chaired by members from the House of Representatives and the Senate Committee on the Library. Congressional records and correspondence with figures such as Edwin Stanton and William H. Seward document the selection process and payment terms.
Design and Description
The statue is a full-body marble figure portraying Abraham Lincoln seated, reflecting iconography similar to classical portraiture exemplified by works displayed at institutions like the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the National Gallery of Art. Vinnie Ream's composition integrates neoclassical influences seen in sculptures by Antonio Canova and Bertel Thorvaldsen while drawing on American precedents from Horatio Greenough and Thomas Crawford. The figure's posture and attire reference Lincoln's public persona from his terms in the Thirty-seventh United States Congress through the Forty-first United States Congress and echo photographs by Mathew Brady and Alexander Gardner. The marble medium and finishing techniques reflect quarry sources similar to those used in projects at Mount Rushmore and nineteenth-century monuments in Congressional Cemetery. The plinth and inscriptions engage typographic and epigraphic traditions similar to those used at the Jefferson Memorial and the Grant Memorial.
Location and Setting
Situated in a niche of the United States Capitol Rotunda, the statue occupies a central ceremonial space used for events such as lying in state, wreath-laying by delegations from institutions like the Supreme Court of the United States and the President of the United States's staff, and public tours coordinated by the Architect of the Capitol. The Rotunda itself is framed by paintings like The Apotheosis of Washington and lunettes by Constantino Brumidi, linking the sculpture to a program that includes commemorative works honoring figures such as Benjamin Franklin, Alexander Hamilton, and Henry Clay. The proximity to the National Statuary Hall Collection and adjacent galleries fosters associations with donors, donors' committees, and Capitol custodial staff.
Installation and Dedication
After completion, installation of the marble figure involved coordination with the United States Capitol Police, the Office of the Capitol Architect, and contractors experienced in monumental sculpture placement, comparable to procedures used for the Statue of Freedom and the Capitol Dome completion projects influenced by Thomas U. Walter. The dedication ceremonies drew members of the Senate of the United States, the House of Representatives, veterans' organizations such as the Grand Army of the Republic, and cultural figures who delivered addresses in the Capitol Rotunda tradition akin to dedications for the Lincoln Memorial and Grant's Tomb. Speeches referenced Lincoln's role in the American Civil War and in shaping legislation including the Emancipation Proclamation and the Thirteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution.
Reception and Cultural Significance
Critical reception has ranged from praise in periodicals like Harper's Weekly and commentary by art critics aligned with institutions including the Smithsonian Institution to scrutiny from contemporaries who debated gender, youth, and patronage issues influencing female artists such as Vinnie Ream versus established sculptors like Hiram Powers. The statue has appeared in congressional ceremonies involving presidents from Rutherford B. Hayes to Joe Biden and has been cited in scholarship produced by historians at the Library of Congress, the National Archives and Records Administration, and universities including Harvard University and Columbia University. Cultural references connect it to filmic depictions of Lincoln in works by directors such as Steven Spielberg and to literary treatments by authors like Doris Kearns Goodwin and Carl Sandburg.
Conservation and Restoration
Preservation efforts have involved conservators affiliated with the Architect of the Capitol and conservation programs at the Smithsonian American Art Museum, employing methods comparable to interventions used on marble sculptures at the National Museum of American History and the Philadelphia Museum of Art. Treatments have addressed issues recorded in condition assessments by curators from the Capitol Historical Society and technicians trained under standards promoted by the American Institute for Conservation. Environmental monitoring draws on climate-control practices used in institutions like the Kennedy Center and emergency preparedness plans coordinated with the Federal Emergency Management Agency during high-profile events.
Category:Monuments and memorials to Abraham Lincoln Category:Marble sculptures in Washington, D.C. Category:Sculptures of presidents of the United States