Lincoln

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When Wengenroth began to paint Lincoln, he intended to use his visage as a metaphor for the changes wrought on an agricultural landscape by the consequences of of an industrial post-Civil War society.

 

As he researched this complex man, he became engaged in the “landscape” of Lincoln’s character over time. Learning more of both his private and public personae, it became clear that such a complicated figure could not be captured in a single image. Ultimately he arrived at six “Lincolns”, each being both temporal and emotive, charting his character through a turbulent time.
 

Frontier Lincoln​

Like the frontier land he inhabited, this is the young, rustic, as yet unformed Lincoln filled with raw promise and awkwardness.

 

Lawyer Lincoln
A tough and determined adversary, Lincoln was ambitious and described as being "able to split hairs as well as rails". This brusque execution emphasizes rectitude, determination and relentlessness. 

Candidate Lincoln 
An image adopted from 1860 campaign photographs, the red, white, and blue coloring evokes bunting, while the contour line modeling suggests 19th century engraving techniques.

 

Emancipation Lincoln
A seasoned, tested, and resolution Commander-in-Chief, sworn to preserving the union and abolishing slavery, he is seen against a background derived from African kente cloth. 

 

Gettysburg Lincoln 
The horrifying human toll of the Civil War is reflected in Lincoln's ravaged face, seen against endless rows of military tombstones.

 

Iconic Lincoln
Following his assasination, Lincoln was memorialized, idealized and sanctified to an abstracted icon.