At the center of the Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall stands a colossal seated Abraham Lincoln, sculpted by Daniel Chester French and carved by the Piccirilli Brothers. Unveiled in 1922, the white Georgia marble figure was designed with architect Henry Bacon to suit the memorial’s Beaux Arts and American Renaissance setting. Monumental in scale, it weighs about 170 tons and presents Lincoln with a grave, composed expression, ceremonial drapery, and a throne-like chair bearing fasces. French refined the design through models and photographic tests, while lighting challenges were solved with electric illumination. The sculpture became a defining image of Washington and a powerful focus of national remembrance.

Washington, District of Columbia · USA