Statue
Who composed the engraved epitaph above Lincoln's head at the Lincoln Memorial?
Lincoln Memorial
Lying between the north and south chambers is the central hall containing the solitary figure of Lincoln sitting in contemplation. The statue was carved by the Piccirilli Brothers under the supervision of the sculptor, Daniel Chester French, and took four years to complete. The statue, originally intended to be only tall, was, on further consideration, enlarged so that it finally stood tall from head to foot, the scale being such that if Lincoln were standing, he would be tall. The extreme width of the statue is the same as its height. The Georgia white marble sculpture weighs and had to be shipped in 28 separate pieces. The statue rests upon an oblong pedestal of Tennessee marble high, wide, and deep. Directly beneath this lies a platform of Tennessee marble about long, wide, and high. Lincoln's arms rest on representations of Roman fasces, a subtle touch that associates the statue with the Augustan (and imperial) theme (obelisk and funerary monuments) of the Washington Mall. The statue is discretely bordered by two pilasters, one on each side. Between these pilasters and above Lincoln's head stands the engraved epitaph, composed by Royal Cortissoz, shown in the box to the left.