One urban legend about Daniel Chester French's sculpture is that the hands spell out Abraham Lincoln's initials in sign language. Lincoln's left hand supposedly forms an "A" while the right hand forms an "L."
Although the Park Service denies the story, it's possible that French did indeed intend it, because French had a deaf son and he was familiar with sign language. He might have wanted to honor Lincoln's support of Gallaudet University, a university for the deaf.
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Wikipedia: Lincoln Memorial
I just love this monument. Lincoln sitting in a chair made of books. Books made him. "The ability to read opened a new and magic world for him, a world he had never dreamed of before. It changed him. It broaded his horizon and gave him vision ; and, for a quarter of a century, reading remained the dominant passion of his life. (The Unknown Lincoln)". And you did just the perfect painting. Thanks !
ReplyDeleteDaniel Chester French did not have a son, only a daughter.
ReplyDeleteAnonymous, thanks for clarifying that. My source was a Wikipedia article quoting a National Geographic publication "Pinpointing the Past in Washington, D.C." which must have been in error.
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