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Sculpture

Life Cast of the Hands and Face of Abraham Lincoln

Leonard Wells Volk (American, 1828–1895). Cast in plaster 1860; cast in bronze by 1888. Bronze. Explore the catalogue record, image rights and documented connections from The Art Institute of Chicago.

Life Cast of the Hands and Face of Abraham LincolnLeonard Wells Volk (American, 1828–1895) · Cast in plaster 1860; cast in bronze by 1888The Art Institute of Chicago · CC0
Image & source
Three-part bronze sculpture set of two clenched hands and a man's face with closed eyes and mouth, an object in one hand.

Sculpture / Source record

Life Cast of the Hands and Face of Abraham Lincoln

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Maker
Leonard Wells Volk (American, 1828–1895)
Date
Cast in plaster 1860; cast in bronze by 1888
Medium
Bronze
Collection
The Art Institute of Chicago
Accession
1891.77-79
Credit
Gift of the artist
Rights
Public domain · CC0

Public domain · CC0. Unchanged copy of the institution’s verified web image; smaller responsive JPEGs are resized derivatives. Full-resolution image remains linked to the institution. Editorial views may show a detail.

Institution’s full-resolution image ↗Museum reuse policy ↗

Institutional rights designation checked 2026-10-17. Catalogue descriptions are normalized from source data; visual interpretation may be unassessed.

Original museum record ↗Read the CC0 dedication ↗

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Catalogue knowledge

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SculptureObject type

Sculpture is a type of object named in the museum catalogue.

An explicitly supplied catalogue description, normalized conservatively. It does not independently establish attribution, completeness, symbolism or historical influence.

The Art Institute of Chicago supplies “Sculpture” in its object type field. This label was normalized by the documented import rule.

Sculpture

Catalogue: The Art Institute of Chicago. Automated source-field normalization; no independent visual interpretation.
Source normalization checked 2026-10-21 · 2026-10-20.1

BronzeMaterial

Bronze is a material named in the museum catalogue.

An explicitly supplied catalogue description, normalized conservatively. It does not independently establish attribution, completeness, symbolism or historical influence.

The Art Institute of Chicago supplies “Bronze; bronze; copper alloy; nonferrous metal; metal; inorganic material” in its medium/materials field. This label was normalized by the documented import rule.

Bronze; bronze; copper alloy; nonferrous metal; metal; inorganic material

Catalogue: The Art Institute of Chicago. Automated source-field normalization; no independent visual interpretation.
Source normalization checked 2026-10-21 · 2026-10-20.1

CopperMaterial

Copper is a material named in the museum catalogue.

An explicitly supplied catalogue description, normalized conservatively. It does not independently establish attribution, completeness, symbolism or historical influence.

The Art Institute of Chicago supplies “Bronze; bronze; copper alloy; nonferrous metal; metal; inorganic material” in its medium/materials field. This label was normalized by the documented import rule.

Bronze; bronze; copper alloy; nonferrous metal; metal; inorganic material

Catalogue: The Art Institute of Chicago. Automated source-field normalization; no independent visual interpretation.
Source normalization checked 2026-10-21 · 2026-10-20.1

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These descriptions belong to this object and its selected image. Unlisted features may be unassessed. Editorial observations and readings were developed with AI assistance; they do not establish the maker’s intent.