Head of Abe Lincoln, the Hoosier Youth

This large, bust-length portrait of Abraham Lincoln by Minnesota native Paul Manship was derived from a monumental full-length commission that the sculptor received in 1932 from the Lincoln Life Insurance company in Fort Wayne, Indiana. Responding to the wishes of his clients, who wanted to promote their state as Lincoln's home throughout adolescence and young adulthood, Manship portrayed the future 16th president as a youthful frontiersman. Working in studios in both Paris and New York, the artist rendered his imaginary likeness of his subject at age 21 using smoothly modeled, simplified forms, a style commonly associated with Art Deco. Depictions of Lincoln abounded throughout the difficult 1930s, but his image as the hearty youth full of promise was the most popular. 

Representations of Abraham Lincoln abounded throughout the Great Depression, elevating the former president as a champion of the common man. The image of him as a hearty youth full of promise was the most popular. This large, sculpted portrait by Paul Manship was commissioned for the Lincoln Life Insurance Company in Fort Wayne, Indiana. Responding to the wishes of his clients, Manship portrayed a young Lincoln. The artist imagined his subject at age 21, creating this image using the smooth modeling and simplified forms of Art Deco.