The Inauguration January 15, 2009

The Inauguration of Abraham Lincoln as President, from Harper's Weekly, March 4, 1861, attributed to Winslow Homer

Greetings from D.C. where change comes every four—or sometimes eight—years. It's an interesting time to be in the nation's capital. On January 20th, our newest president will be sworn in; his election was a momentous achievement in so many ways. The same can be said for Abraham Lincoln who was sworn in as the nation's sixteenth president on March 4, 1861. Famed American artist Winslow Homer was in attendance and created this wood engraving on paper for Harper's magazine. It shows Lincoln delivering his remarks on the steps of the U.S. Capitol, under a specially designed canopy. Dignitaries fill the area behind him, while the well-dressed throngs below share Homer's perspective. The men wear hats, the women bonnets, while one woman in the foreground carries an parasol, presumably to shade herself from the glare of the sun.

Painter and graphic artist Winslow Homer, whose work is well represented at American Art, was known for his illustrations of the Civil War, also published by Harper's, and his luminous seascape paintings.

While you're at American Art, check out the exhibition, The Honor of Your Company is Requested: President Lincoln's Inaugural Ball. It gives an inside, behind-the-scenes look into American history and pageantry in the same building where Lincoln's second inaugural ball was held.

Since we're starting off a new year, I'm going to end this post with Lincoln's famous words from his second inaugural speech in 1865 as a new year's wish for 2009: "With malice toward none; with charity for all . . . ."

Related Info: Museum Special Programs and Temporary Closures during the Inaugural Weekend

• Inauguration, Barack Obama, Abraham Lincoln, American Art,
  Smithsonian American Art Museum