Abraham Lincoln Monument ("Standing Lincoln")

“Ira Bach and Mary Lackritz Gray state in Chicago's Famous Sculptures that the sculpture has been acclaimed “not only as the best likeness of Lincoln but also as one of the finest works of monumental art in the U.S." Bach notes that the statue “is rendered with a great simplicity that conveys the dignity of the man while hinting at the tragedy of his death and with such naturalness that the viewer is convinced that Lincoln rose from the large, low chair behind him only a moment ago." The "Standing Lincoln" has been a popular image for reproduction during its 114-year history.”

“The earliest was the Farragut Monument in New York's Madison Square (1879-80). Another that received great acclaim was the Adams Monument in Washington, D.C., commissioned by novelist Henry Adams in 1890 as a memorial to his wife.”

“In the architectural portion of his work Mr. St. Gaudens was assisted by Mr. Stanford White, and together they have given us a monument which is the most precious the country yet possesses; which is not only our best likeness of Abraham Lincoln, but our finest work of monumental art.”

“The monument consists of two major components-the statue itself and its architectural setting. Saint-Gaudens created a full-length statue of Lincoln, larger than life at 11-1/2 feet high. The president is standing atop a gray granite pedestal, seven feet in height, decorated with stars and inscribed "Gift of Eli Bates / Abraham Lincoln." Behind him is a Classical-style chair ornamented with an eagle with wings spread, said to resemble an ancient Greek chair the sculptor once saw on a visit to the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston.”

“Its combination of naturalistic appearance, sharp portrayal of personality, and Classical detail was innovative and influenced a generation of American sculptors. It has since become one of America's iconic images of the leader who led the nation through the Civil War.”

“The Abraham Lincoln Monument has been an established visual feature of Lincoln Park since its completion in 1887. Its location at the head of Dearborn Parkway-has made it a visual "gateway" into the park for generations of Chicagoans.”

“White was one of the most prominent architects in America. As a partner in the firm of McKim, Mead, and White, he was the designer of fashionable houses and clubs for New York's elite.”

“Their monuments have been widely praised as among the best collaborative efforts of an artist and architect in nineteenth-century America and represent the late nineteenth-century flowering of artistic endeavor in the United States known as the "American Renaissance." The bronze statue of Lincoln himself is the work of Saint-Gaudens, one of America's most celebrated sculptors who was widely praised for his ability to combine visual depiction of personality with monumental grandeur.”

“Based on ancient Greek meeting places, the oval exedra, 60 feet wide and 30 feet deep, has large stylized eagle wings carved into each end. Selections from Lincoln's speeches, including one given at New York's Cooper Union in 1860, are carved on the outside wall of the exedra.”