A prominent 1887 portrait of Abraham Lincoln, painted by George Peter Alexander Healy, is undergoing a meticulous restoration at the Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery in Washington, D.C. The effort is part of a broader initiative to evaluate and repair 110 presidential portraits in the gallery’s collection.
The large painting depicts a contemplative Lincoln seated, resting his chin on his right hand while gripping the arm of a chair with his left. The work, measuring six feet two inches tall, shows Lincoln in a dark suit, white shirt, and bow tie. It was last publicly exhibited in 2022 but has since revealed the toll of time, including areas where paint has flaked away and damage to the canvas. The original canvas was removed at some point, possibly with a scalpel, and the painted surface bears abrasions believed to have been caused by an iron.
Heather Smith, a Baltimore-based art conservator and owner of Maryland Art Conservation, is leading the restoration. Working with tools including a fine sable brush and specialized magnifying glasses, Smith aims to return the portrait to its original condition. She operates from a studio in a former Baptist church in northern Baltimore and has previously worked on portraits within the gallery’s collection, including a 1785 George Washington painting by Robert Edge Pine. Additional works by former presidents Theodore Roosevelt, Benjamin Harrison, Woodrow Wilson, and Dwight D. Eisenhower are also scheduled for restoration under her care.
The 1887 Lincoln portrait was commissioned by Elihu B. Washburne, a close friend and political ally of Lincoln, who initially intended it for his personal residence. Healy painted the work during the winter of 1887 in his Paris studio. After Washburne’s death later that year and subsequently the death of his brother William in 1912, the painting changed hands several times. It was acquired by the A.W. Mellon Educational and Charitable Trust in 1934, transferred to the National Gallery of Art in 1942, and ultimately assigned to the National Portrait Gallery upon its opening in 1968.
The gallery historian Mindy Farmer noted the portrait’s iconic status, linking it to three other similar Lincoln portraits created by Healy. These works are inspired by Healy’s 1868 painting “The Peacemakers,” which depicts Lincoln in dialogue with Civil War generals Ulysses S. Grant and William T. Sherman, and Rear Admiral David D. Porter during the war’s closing months. One of the related portraits, painted in 1869 and once belonging to Lincoln’s son Robert, is part of the White House collection.
Funding for the current restoration has partially come from a grant provided by Bank of America, underscoring the collaborative efforts to preserve these significant pieces of American history. Alongside the large seated portrait, Smith is also working on another Lincoln image known as the “penny portrait” due to its resemblance to the Lincoln penny’s profile.
The ongoing restoration project reflects the National Portrait Gallery’s commitment to maintaining and conserving its extensive presidential portrait collection for future generations.