12 / 17Artwork 12 of 17Virtual exhibition
Abraham Lincoln
Mykola Syadristy1981
Abraham Lincoln's profile, carved from the shell of a blackthorn stone, just 3 × 3 millimetres in size.
What to look for under the microscope
In numbers
- MaterialThe shell of a blackthorn stone
- Size3 × 3 mm
- Lincoln's height193 cm – the tallest US president
- 1981Year created
The story
Abraham Lincoln, the 16th President of the United States, led the country through the Civil War. His name is linked to the abolition of slavery, and he is honoured around the world as a symbol of unity, freedom and equality.
How it was made
The play of light and shadow comes not from paint but solely from the depth of the carving and the polish of the surface. In places the relief is only a few microns deep. The strong features had to be rendered true to life on a brittle, organic material, where one wrong move cannot be undone.
Did you know?
In 1860 Lincoln was still clean-shaven. That October an 11-year-old girl, Grace Bedell, wrote to him suggesting that he grow a beard, because then the ladies would persuade their husbands to vote for him. Lincoln took her advice, and four months later, on his way to his inauguration, he met her in person.
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