Abraham Lincoln (relief by Schwarz)
Encyclopedia
The Abraham Lincoln commemorative plaque
is a public art
work designed by Marie Stewart and created by Rudolf Schwarz in 1906. The bronze
plaque is located near the Indiana Government Center South, on the corner of West Washington and South Missouri Streets in downtown Indianapolis
, Indiana
, United States
. The plaque is approximately 65 inches (165.1 cm) tall and 35 inches (88.9 cm) wide. It is set in a limestone
block 100 inches (254 cm) tall. The block remains rough with the exception of a carved Corinthian
column capital
that is adhered to the front proper left corner. The column is attached in such as a way as to make the stone appear to be one solid piece.
of Abraham Lincoln
's profile as young man, as well as the Indiana Statehouse, the Great Seal of the United States
, a log cabin
, and a large olive branch
. Lincoln's right side is shown, and he does not have a beard. The images of the Statehouse and the Seal of the United States are on the proper left side of the relief, and the log cabin is on the proper right side. The log cabin image represents Lincoln's boyhood home in southern Indiana. The olive branch extends from beneath Lincoln's profile into the proper left side so that Lincoln is facing the olive branch in the same way the eagle on the Great Seal does during peacetime. The relief comprises the top 17 inches (43.2 cm) of the plaque.
Beneath the relief is an inscription in raised, capital letters that reads,
The plaque is affixed to the limestone block with four large bolts on each corner of the inscription.
There are no visible foundry marks.
for his first inauguration. The plaque was then made by Rudolf Schwarz and dedicated in 1907 on February 2, Lincoln's birthday.
at the center of Indianapolis. Schwarz later created several county memorials in Indiana as well as the Oliver P. Morton monument to Indiana Governor Oliver P. Morton on the east side of the Indiana Statehouse.
Commemorative plaque
A commemorative plaque, or simply plaque, is a plate of metal, ceramic, stone, wood, or other material, typically attached to a wall, stone, or other vertical surface, and bearing text in memory of an important figure or event...
is a public art
Public art
The term public art properly refers to works of art in any media that have been planned and executed with the specific intention of being sited or staged in the physical public domain, usually outside and accessible to all...
work designed by Marie Stewart and created by Rudolf Schwarz in 1906. The bronze
Bronze
Bronze is a metal alloy consisting primarily of copper, usually with tin as the main additive. It is hard and brittle, and it was particularly significant in antiquity, so much so that the Bronze Age was named after the metal...
plaque is located near the Indiana Government Center South, on the corner of West Washington and South Missouri Streets in downtown Indianapolis
Indianapolis
Indianapolis is the capital of the U.S. state of Indiana, and the county seat of Marion County, Indiana. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city's population is 839,489. It is by far Indiana's largest city and, as of the 2010 U.S...
, Indiana
Indiana
Indiana is a US state, admitted to the United States as the 19th on December 11, 1816. It is located in the Midwestern United States and Great Lakes Region. With 6,483,802 residents, the state is ranked 15th in population and 16th in population density. Indiana is ranked 38th in land area and is...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The plaque is approximately 65 inches (165.1 cm) tall and 35 inches (88.9 cm) wide. It is set in a limestone
Limestone
Limestone is a sedimentary rock composed largely of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of calcium carbonate . Many limestones are composed from skeletal fragments of marine organisms such as coral or foraminifera....
block 100 inches (254 cm) tall. The block remains rough with the exception of a carved Corinthian
Corinthian order
The Corinthian order is one of the three principal classical orders of ancient Greek and Roman architecture. The other two are the Doric and Ionic. When classical architecture was revived during the Renaissance, two more orders were added to the canon, the Tuscan order and the Composite order...
column capital
Capital (architecture)
In architecture the capital forms the topmost member of a column . It mediates between the column and the load thrusting down upon it, broadening the area of the column's supporting surface...
that is adhered to the front proper left corner. The column is attached in such as a way as to make the stone appear to be one solid piece.
Description
At the top of the bronze plaque is a reliefRelief
Relief is a sculptural technique. The term relief is from the Latin verb levo, to raise. To create a sculpture in relief is thus to give the impression that the sculpted material has been raised above the background plane...
of Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln was the 16th President of the United States, serving from March 1861 until his assassination in April 1865. He successfully led his country through a great constitutional, military and moral crisis – the American Civil War – preserving the Union, while ending slavery, and...
's profile as young man, as well as the Indiana Statehouse, the Great Seal of the United States
Great Seal of the United States
The Great Seal of the United States is used to authenticate certain documents issued by the United States federal government. The phrase is used both for the physical seal itself , and more generally for the design impressed upon it...
, a log cabin
Log cabin
A log cabin is a house built from logs. It is a fairly simple type of log house. A distinction should be drawn between the traditional meanings of "log cabin" and "log house." Historically most "Log cabins" were a simple one- or 1½-story structures, somewhat impermanent, and less finished or less...
, and a large olive branch
Olive branch
The olive branch in Western culture, derived from the customs of Ancient Greece, symbolizes peace or victory and was worn by brides.-Ancient Greece and Rome:...
. Lincoln's right side is shown, and he does not have a beard. The images of the Statehouse and the Seal of the United States are on the proper left side of the relief, and the log cabin is on the proper right side. The log cabin image represents Lincoln's boyhood home in southern Indiana. The olive branch extends from beneath Lincoln's profile into the proper left side so that Lincoln is facing the olive branch in the same way the eagle on the Great Seal does during peacetime. The relief comprises the top 17 inches (43.2 cm) of the plaque.
Beneath the relief is an inscription in raised, capital letters that reads,
Here Feb 11 1861
Abraham Lincoln on
his way to Washing-
ton to assume the
Presidency in an ad-
dress said: "I appeal
to you to constant-
ly bear in mind that
not with politicians
not with presidents
not with office seek-
ers but with you is the
question: Shall the
Union and shall the lib-
erties of this country
be preserved to the
latest generations?"
The plaque is affixed to the limestone block with four large bolts on each corner of the inscription.
There are no visible foundry marks.
Historical information
Indianapolis high school student Marie Stewart designed the plaque in 1906 and won the citywide contest to design a plaque commemorating Abraham Lincoln's speech given at the nearby Bates House in Indianapolis on his way to Washington, D.C.Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
for his first inauguration. The plaque was then made by Rudolf Schwarz and dedicated in 1907 on February 2, Lincoln's birthday.
Location history
The plaque was originally located at the Claypool Hotel which stood on the site of the Bates House on the corner of Illinois and Washington streets a few blocks to the east. In the late 1960s the Claypool Hotel was torn down, and in 1971 the plaque was moved westward on Washington Street. It was put in its present location in 1991.Artist
The plaque was designed by Indianapolis high school student Marie Stewart. It was completed by Vienna-born sculptor Rudolf Schwarz. Schwarz also crafted the limestone sculptures on the Soldiers and Sailors MonumentSoldiers' and Sailors' Monument (Indianapolis)
The Indiana Soldiers' and Sailors' Monument is a tall neoclassical monument in the center of Indianapolis, Indiana that was designed by German architect Bruno Schmitz and completed in 1901....
at the center of Indianapolis. Schwarz later created several county memorials in Indiana as well as the Oliver P. Morton monument to Indiana Governor Oliver P. Morton on the east side of the Indiana Statehouse.