Title: Oil Portrait of Abraham Lincoln

Description: Artist George P. A. Healy began working on this portrait of President Lincoln in 1864. When John Wilkes Booth assassinated Lincoln on April 14, 1865, Healey was forced to finish the work without a model. The portrait now hangs in the State Dining Room. Throughout the Civil War President Lincoln kept the White House open to the public. To encourage the Union, the President would celebrate each victory by illuminating the outside of the White House with thousands of candles nailed to boards.

Date: 1869

Creator: George P. A. Healy

Credit: White House Historical Association (White House Collection)