1. Category:
  2. Fine Art (2,667)

A Portrait of Abraham Lincoln

Creator:
Harry Cimino
Location:
unknown place made
Origin Date:
Unknown
Materials:
paper
Measurements:
overall: 11 1/2 in x 8 15/16 in
Item ID:
71.2009.081.1605
Holding Institution:
Lincoln Financial Foundation Collection, courtesy of the Indiana State Museum
Available for Viewing:
No
Category:
Fine Art

Description

This colored wood engraving features a head and shoulders portrait of a beardless Abraham Lincoln done from a photograph taken of him on June 3, 1860, in Springfield, Illinois, not long after he was nominated as the Republican presidential candidate. The portrait is printed on the inside of a folder with the cover featuring a small graphic image containing the title on the top half of the page. In this cover image a tree stands above and behind the oval with the words, "A Portrait of ABRAHAM LINCOLN cut on wood in five colors by Harry Cimino" inside of it. A log with with a maul and an axe appears at the base of the oval referring to Lincoln's time as a rail splitter. The artist's initials "HC" appear to the right of the oval. The pictures are printed in a navy blue ink, while the words are printed in white. Inside the folder, the right side contains the color print of Lincoln depicting him facing toward the viewer's right. The portrait is printed in five different colors: light green, blue, white, yellow-orange, and brown. White, yellow-orange, and brown are used to highlight Lincoln's face and hair, while green and blue are used for the jacket and bow tie. Lincoln also wears a white collared shirt, which has a small touch of green. The background is a combination of every color used for Lincoln, excluding brown. The artist's initials, "HC" appear above Lincoln's left shoulder. Part of the Lincoln Financial Foundation Collection, courtesy of the Indiana State Museum