The construction of the memorial took eight years to complete, from Bacon had spent several years of study in Europe and had grown very fond of the architecture found in ancient Greece. He decided to incorporate that style into his design for the Lincoln Memorial. His true inspiration was the Athenian temple known as the Parthenon. What better way existed to remember a man who struggled to defend democracy, than to model his tribute after one found in the birthplace of democracy?
Bacon insisted on using a variety of stones in the construction of the memorial. One will notice the Indiana limestone on the interior walls and columns of the chamber, and the Alabama marble used for the ceiling tiles soaked in paraffin to give them a translucent appearance.
The statue of Lincoln was carved from Georgia marble. These stones from several parts of the United States, symbolize the importance of the Union to Lincoln. The nineteen-foot tall statue of Abraham Lincoln emerged from the design of Massachusetts sculptor Daniel Chester French whose attention to detail, accuracy, and composition created a masterpiece.
French devoted considerable effort toward depicting Lincoln during the midst of war. To what part of the Georgia marble figure is the eye drawn first? Lincoln was determined to fight the war to its end in spite of the ongoing bloodshed. When the war was over, Lincoln wanted to bring the Southern states back into the Union in a peaceful way without looking for revenge. Among Washington, D. In it, French conveyed great things through simple, well-executed, and careful composition.
The artist that architect Henry Bacon hired to create watercolor illustrations of his proposed Lincoln Memorial architectural and landscape concepts.
Throughout the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, he exhibited his work at many of the great celebratory expositions such as the Pan American in Buffalo, New York and the Louisiana Purchase in St. As the memorial emerged, Bacon selected Guerin to decorate the Lincoln Memorial interior with two canvas murals, each 60 feet long by 12 feet high, and weighing pounds.
Together, the murals visually symbolize the resounding principles of Abraham Lincoln. The central panel shows the Angel of Truth releasing slaves from the shackles of bondage. The left panel of the mural represents Justice and Law. The right panel represents Immortality. Surrounding the central figure are Faith, Hope, and Charity. Because the memorial was to be built on drained and filled land, extra care had to be taken with the foundation for such a massive structure.
The sub-foundation is made up of solid, poured concrete piers with steel reinforcing rods anchored in bedrock. The upper-foundation is a second series of piers resting on the primary columns. The top piers are all joined together by poured concrete arches that form the floor of the memorial, later covered with a sheathing of marble. All foundation work was completed in May Earlier that year work had started on the main structure itself and fill was brought in to build up the circular mound that would be the landscape setting for the memorial.
Work slowed considerably because of labor and material shortages but never came to a halt. In , after all parties agreed that the statue of Lincoln would have to be doubled in size so that it would not appear lost in the building, steel struts were added beneath the floor to support the added weight from the larger statue.
From the chamber of the memorial, one can appreciate the different stones used in its construction. The terrace walls and lower steps comprise granite blocks from Massachusetts - the upper steps, outside facade, and columns contain marble blocks from Colorado - the interior walls and columns are Indiana limestone - the floor is pink Tennessee marble - the ceiling tiles are Alabama marble — and the Lincoln statue comprises 28 pieces of Georgia marble.
These building materials may seem random, but Henry Bacon specifically chose each one to tell a very specific story. A country torn apart by war can come together, not only to build something beautiful, but also explain the reunification of the states. Once the roof was in place, decorative murals were painted on the tops of the south and north walls and the Gettysburg Address and the Second Inaugural were carved into the stone beneath the paintings.
In December and January the statue of Lincoln was assembled and completed.
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