Artist:

Priscilla Roberts, born Glen Ridge, NJ 1916-died Georgetown, CT 2001  Search this

Sitter:

Abraham Lincoln  Search this

Medium:

oil on board

Dimensions:

19 × 16 in. (48.3 × 40.6 cm)

Type:

Painting

Date:

1961-1962

Luce Center Label:

Life Mask (Abraham Lincoln) shows two well-known sculptures—Leonard Volk's 1860 life mask of Abraham Lincoln and Nike of Samothrace, the classical sculpture of the winged goddess of victory. Life Mask (Abraham Lincoln) is open to many interpretations. The classical statue, silhouetted in the foreground, may symbolize Lincoln's victory during the Civil War, but the muted colors and deep shadows suggest a more somber meaning. Roberts leaves the viewer wondering if this painting celebrates Lincoln's legacy, represents his mortality, or suggests that victory was overshadowed by his death.

Topic:

Portrait male\head  Search this

Credit Line:

Smithsonian American Art Museum, Museum purchase made possible by David S. Purvis

Object number:

2009.12

Restrictions & Rights:

Usage conditions apply

See more items in:

Smithsonian American Art Museum Collection

Department:

Painting and Sculpture

Data Source:

Smithsonian American Art Museum

GUID:

http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/vk7d7e0dd0b-b05b-4d68-8feb-f576a2c6aecc

EDAN-URL:

edanmdm:saam_2009.12