Lincoln in Lincoln Park
& Artwork: designslinger]
A very tall and powerful Abraham Lincoln stands above the southern entrance to Chicago's
Lincoln Park. I always found sculptor Augustus Saint-Gaudens' rendering of Lincoln's facial expression incredibly realistic. I eventually discovered that Saint-Gaudens used a life mask of Lincoln, cast by sculptor Leonard Volk in 1860, as an aid in sculpting the face. I'm not sure how much of what we see is artistic interpretation, and how much is actually Lincoln. Architect Stanford White created the sweeping platform and podium for Lincoln to stand on, and thousands of Lincoln's admirers filled the park for the dedication ceremony in October, 1887.
Because of Lincoln's towering presence, the chair behind him stands somewhat lost in the
great man's shadow, both figuratively and literally. I'm not sure why Saint-Gaudens chose to include a piece of furniture along with the human figure since it doesn't add much to the overall concept. And, the proportions don't seem right, especially the squatty looking legs.
The more I examined the chair, the more interested I became, and my focus shifted from
Lincoln to the kitschy looking seat behind him. Most people come and take a picture standing in front of the statue for a straight head on view. When I looked through the lens of the camera at that angle, the chair was almost completely obscured by Lincoln. I walked around the limestone base, aimed the camera, and took a photo, because on this sunny day the chair deserved a picture of it's own.
Posted by designslinger at 5/11/2009 4:30 AM 
Categories: Art, Gardens
Tags: Chicago Lincoln Park Augustus Saint-Gaudens Stanford White Abraham Lincoln
Categories: Art, Gardens
Tags: Chicago Lincoln Park Augustus Saint-Gaudens Stanford White Abraham Lincoln
Comments