Artwork Detail

Lincoln the Lawyer

Object Date: 1961

Medium: Bronze on concrete

Imperial Dims: Overall: 108 x 75 x 75 in.

Department(s): Superior Court of California, County of Los Angeles

Supervisorial District: 1

About the Artwork:

This larger-than-life bronze bust of Abraham Lincoln statue by Robert Merrell Gage is located at the northeast corner of the Mosk Courthouse facing Grand Avenue. It was originally dedicated in 1961 and moved to a new location outside the courthouse and re-dedicated in 1989. The statue depicts Lincoln in his 40s, clean shaven, and dating to a period before he became president. For further information, see www.publicartinla.com

About the Artist:

Noted American sculptor Robert Merrell Gage (1892-1981) was a native of Topeka, Kansas. He relocated out West in 1923 and served as head of the sculpture department at USC for 30 years. In addition to numerous commissions of American figures such as Walt Whitman and John Brown, as well as architectural sculptures, one of Gage’s life-long interests was in Abraham Lincoln. Gage executed likenesses of Lincoln in many stages of life, and even starred in a 1950s film in which he modeled Lincoln’s features while narrating the story of his life.