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Lincoln and the Sculptress:
In 1866, Congress voted $10,000 to commission a full-length statue of the late president for the Capitol. Over the objections of some, including Mary Lincoln and Senator Charles Sumner, the work was entrusted to Vinnie Ream -- the first woman to receive a federal art commission. The 19-year-old artist living in Washington, Ream had already fashioned a bust of Lincoln from life. The president had enjoyed her company, saying she reminded him of his late son Willie.
In creating his marble likeness, Ream worked from the suit of clothing Lincoln wore to Ford's Theatre the night of his assassination. The statue stands today in Statuary Hall at the US Capitol.
Vinnie Ream poses with her bust of Lincoln. The bust rests upon the stand she used while President Lincoln posed for her in this White House. |