Skip to main content
Abraham Lincoln
Attributed to William Matthew Prior, 1806–1873
Probably East Boston, Massachu…
Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln
Attributed to William Matthew Prior, 1806–1873
Probably East Boston, Massachu…
Abraham Lincoln Attributed to William Matthew Prior, 1806–1873 Probably East Boston, Massachusetts, or Baltimore, Maryland, United States c. 1860–1873 Reverse painting in oil on glass 23 1/2 x 17 1/4" (sight) Collection American Folk Art Museum, New York Museum purchase, 1985.18.1 Photo by Gavin Ashworth
Record Details

Abraham Lincoln

Datec.1860–1873
Place/RegionProbably East Boston, Massachusetts or Baltimore, Maryland, United States
MediumReverse painting in oil on glass
Dimensions23 1/2 × 17 1/4" (sight)
Credit LineMuseum purchase
Accession number1985.18.1
CopyrightThe American Folk Art Museum believes this work to be in the public domain.
Description

There are at least nineteen known reverse paintings on glass of Abraham Lincoln. All of the versions are based upon the photograph of the painting taken by Anthony Berger at Mathew Brady's Washington, D.C., studio on Tuesday, February 9, 1864. The large number of extant glass portraits of Lincoln and other luminaries suggests that many more of these paintings were painted than have probably survived due to their fragility. In three of the Lincoln portraits the president is facing right, which incorrectly places his signature mole on the wrong side of his face.

This example is attributed to William Matthew Prior, who painted more than one hundred surviving reverse paintings on glass of celebrated American heroes including George and Martha Washington, Abraham Lincoln, Andrew Jackson, and Daniel Webster.

Lee Kogan, "Abraham Lincoln," exhibition label for FOILED: Tinsel Painting in America. Lee Kogan, curator. New York: American Folk Art Museum, 2012–2013.

George Washington
Attributed to William Matthew Prior, 1806–1873
Probably East Boston Massasa…
William Matthew Prior
c. 1860–1873
1986.2.1
Martha Washington
Attributed to William Matthew Prior, 1806–1873
Probably East Boston, Massac…
William Matthew Prior
c. 1860–1873
1986.2.2
William Matthew Prior, (1806–1873), “George Washington,” probably East Boston, Massachusetts, 1…
William Matthew Prior
1865–1870
1985.18.2
Mrs. Elizabeth Thomas
William Matthew Prior (1806–1873)
Photo by John Parnell
William Matthew Prior
c. 1850
1964.1.1
View of Mt. Vernon and George Washington's Tomb
William Matthew Prior
Photographed by John Pa…
William Matthew Prior
c. 1850- 1860
1986.3.5
William Matthew Prior, (1806–1873), “Heavenly Children,” Probably Massachusetts, c. 1850, Oil o…
William Matthew Prior
c. 1850
2016.18.1
Hannah Perkins Fuller
Attributed to Benjamin Greenleaf, 1769–1861
Maine, United States
1816
…
Benjamin Greenleaf
1816
1983.11.1
Portrait of Caleb Fuller
Attributed to Benjamin Greenleaf, 1769–1861
Maine, United States
18…
Benjamin Greenleaf
1816
1983.11.2
Looking Glass with Two Figures on Seesaw
Artist unidentified
United States
c.1880–1910
Reve…
Artist unidentified
1880–1910
2009.13.88
Looking Glass with Basket of Flowers
Artist unidentified
United States
c.1880-1910
Reverse …
Artist unidentified
1880–1910
2009.13.96
Wreath of Flowers with Birds and Daguerreotype of Child
Artist unidentified
United States
c.…
Artist unidentified
c. 1855–1865
1979.3.1
Vase of Flowers
Artist unidentified
United States
c. 1870–1890
Reverse painting and foil on…
Artist unidentified
c. 1855–1865
1979.3.3