Lincoln Memorial

          The sculpture of Abraham Lincoln, also known as the Lincoln Memorial, is a masterpiece. The sculpture is the perfect transition from ancient to modern work. Henry Bacon is the architect that made the Lincoln Memorial, and this work was his final project. A Lincoln Memorial bill was passed in 1911 to get the project going, and the work itself was completed on May 30, 1922. Henry Bacon styled the structure to replicate the look of a Greek temple. Every aspect of the sculpture is included to represent facts about Abraham Lincoln. There are 36 columns on the outside that represent the number of states in the Union at the time Lincoln died. The whole thing includes stones from five different states. The stone from Colorado is white marble and it is located on the exterior. The stone from Indiana is limestone and it is located on the interior walls. The stone from Tennessee is pink marble and this makes up the flooring of the structure. The stone from Alabama is marble and is used for creating the ceiling. The stone from Georgia is white marble, which makes up the whole sculpture of Abraham Lincoln located inside the temple. Later on after the sculpture was completed, a light was installed inside to illuminate Abraham Lincoln. The sculpture itself can be seen when visiting Washington, D.C.

        The whole piece itself focuses on the significance of Abraham Lincoln in American history. The first theme expressed in this sculpture is representation of power. This theme is seen through all the placement of object in the Lincoln Memorial. The selection of Greek styled structuring brings a sense of grandeur to the piece. The stairs leading up to the statue represent the high level Abraham Lincoln is on. Others need to walk up to see him. Also the statue is placed directly in the middle with a spotlight focused on Abraham Lincoln. All these items combined together make him seem like a King. The second theme is lost in time. It looks like an ancient building with a king inside. America never had ancient Greek structures and America has never had a king. The whole sculpture does not look like it should even be in America. It is Americanized only through the use of Abraham Lincoln on the inside. The structure looks misplaced with the surrounding streets of America that it quite literally looks like it is lost in time. Maybe that was done on purpose. Abraham Lincoln is also lost in time; he will never ever be seen again and everything he has done will only be known through the past.

            I think this piece is very beautiful. I am a person who likes geometric patterns, equality, and balance in objects. What is on the left is the same as what is on the right, and what is out of the ordinary is all placed in the center. Another aspect is the color white. The white makes it look really crisp and sharp. It looks clean, and the white really enhances the shadows in the Abraham Lincoln Statue. Any other color would have made it ugly. I say this because it is so big and bold that the white balances out. Black would have been too gloomy for this and especially because it is a sculpture, shadows are only seen through the way the light hits it. The one thing I dislike about the Lincoln Memorial is the quote inscribed above the statue. It is so powerful, attractive, and appealing that I feel the message the quote gives is already expressed through the way it looks. This does not really include the memorial itself, but the other pieces of architecture that are placed by the memorial just enhance the beauty. The whole scenery would not be complete without the Lincoln Memorial and vice versa.