Abraham Lincoln

portrait of the Abraham Lincoln, president of the United States with Rainbow American flag, art by Lambertville artist Gwenn Seemel — Gwenn Seemel
*Abraham Lincoln*
2026
acrylic on archival board
14 x 11 inches

Painting celebrity portraits like this one was very specifically Not My Thing for twenty years. I only wanted to paint portraits of people I could meet myself, because I didn’t like the idea of using the fame of my subjects to get viewers to like my art. I made this choice before I even started my career, and it was reinforced when a celebrity commissioned me to paint his portrait in 2005.

This image of Lincoln is part of my own personal celebration of the 250^th anniversary of the United States in 2026, which also includes this pair of eagles. It’s a deviation from my rule about celebrity portraits, one that started in 2025 with paintings of Fannie Lou Hamer and James Baldwin.

detail image of a painting of Abe Lincoln — detail image