ticketsMember | Make a donation

Abraham Lincoln

Founder Cast by S. Klaber American
1860, cast ca. 1914
Not on view
Volk met Lincoln in 1858 through his wife's cousin, Stephen A. Douglas. Lincoln, not yet President at the time, agreed to pose for the sculptor. Two years later, while Lincoln was in Chicago on legal business, he sat for Volk in his studio. In order to eliminate the need for several sittings, the artist made a life mask (Smithsonian Institution, Washington D. C.) that also became valuable to later artists who portrayed Lincoln. Volk's portrait bust depicts Lincoln deep in thought and finds its greatest strength in the simple naturalism representing a vigorous man. This example was cast in 1914 for the Metropolitan Museum by Theodore B. Starr, Inc. from a plaster copy of the 1860 bust.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: Abraham Lincoln
  • Artist: Leonard Wells Volk (1828–1895)
  • Founder: Cast by S. Klaber (American, New York)
  • Date: 1860, cast ca. 1914
  • Culture: American
  • Medium: Bronze
  • Dimensions: 15 1/2 x 9 x 9 in. (39.4 x 22.9 x 22.9 cm)
  • Credit Line: Gift of Theodore B. Starr Inc., 1914
  • Object Number: 14.92
  • Curatorial Department: The American Wing

More Artwork

More Artwork
A slider containing 5 items.
Press the down key to skip to the last item.
Abraham Lincoln: The Man (Standing Lincoln), Augustus Saint-Gaudens American, Bronze, American
Abraham Lincoln: The Man (Standing Lincoln)
Augustus Saint-Gaudens
1884–87; reduced 1910; cast 1911
Right Hand of Abraham Lincoln, Leonard Wells Volk American, Bronze, American
Right Hand of Abraham Lincoln
Leonard Wells Volk
Augustus Saint-Gaudens
1860; cast 1886
Life Mask of Abraham Lincoln, Leonard Wells Volk American, Bronze, American
Life Mask of Abraham Lincoln
Leonard Wells Volk
Augustus Saint-Gaudens
1860, cast 1886
Abraham Lincoln, Charles Calverley American, Bronze, American
Abraham Lincoln
Charles Calverley
1898
Maud Morgan, Olin Levi Warner American, Bronze, American
Maud Morgan
Olin Levi Warner
Tiffany & Co.
1880, cast 1897–98

Related Content

Publications

Books, guides, and catalogues published by The Met.

Research Resources

The Met provides unparalleled resources for research and welcomes an international community of students and scholars. The Met's Open Access API is where creators and researchers can connect to the The Met collection. Open Access data and public domain images are available for unrestricted commercial and noncommercial use without permission or fee.

To request images under copyright and other restrictions, please use this Image Request form.

Feedback

We continue to research and examine historical and cultural context for objects in The Met collection. If you have comments or questions about this object record, please complete and submit this form. The Museum looks forward to receiving your comments.