Could a simple bench hold the weight of a nation’s grief? Here at the Lincoln on a Bench Sculpture, you might just feel that weight. This isn’t the stoic, standing Lincoln we often see. This sculpture, a gift to Chicago from John Crerar, captures a different side of the president.
Augustus Saint-Gaudens, the artist, wanted to show the heavy toll of leadership on Lincoln. He imagined him not in the midst of a speech, but in a moment of quiet reflection. Notice the slump of his shoulders, the weary tilt of his head. It’s as if the weight of the Civil War is etched onto his very form.
Interestingly, this sculpture had a long journey to its home here. Completed in 1908, it was first displayed in New York City and even traveled to the San Francisco World’s Fair. It wasn’t until 1926 that Lincoln finally found his place on this bench, in the heart of Chicago.