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Life Mask (Abraham Lincoln)
1961-1962
Priscilla Roberts
Born: Glen Ridge, New Jersey 1916
Died: Georgetown, Connecticut 2001
oil on board
19 x 15 1/2 in. (48.3 x 39.4 cm)
Smithsonian American Art Museum
Museum purchase made possible by David S. Purvis
2009.12
Smithsonian American Art Museum
4th Floor, Luce Foundation Center
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.
- This object is featured in the Luce Center's Mix Tape.
For more information about this work visit the Luce Foundation Center.
Keywords
Portrait male - Lincoln, Abraham - head
painting
paint - oil
About Priscilla Roberts
Born: Glen Ridge, New Jersey 1916 Died: Georgetown, Connecticut 2001
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