History Center takes close look at forged Mary Lincoln painting
The Des Plaines History Center and the Des Plaines Public Library are hosting a virtual Coffee Talk presentation, "The Demise of Mary Lincoln: An Artistic Conspiracy," with conservator and art historian Barry Bauman at 7 p.m. Thursday, July 15.
Attendees can join the Zoom event by registering at calendar.dppl.org/event/5263288.
The program recounts the story of how Bauman discovered that an iconic portrait of First Lady Mary Lincoln - valued at $400,000 - was a forgery.
Mary Lincoln's granddaughter purchased the 1864 portrait of Mary Lincoln in 1929, which was attributed to artist Francis Carpenter in 1929. The granddaughter's son, and Abraham Lincoln's last living descendant, donated the painting to the Illinois State Historical Library. It hung in the Governor's Mansion in Springfield for decades.
"In my career I made two discoveries that changed the related history of art," Bauman said. "During treatment, I proved that a painting in the collection of a small Iowa museum was actually a lost work of art by the teacher of Peter Paul Rubens. The painting is now insured for $11 million. The second was my proof that a portrait of Mary Lincoln, owned by the Abraham Presidential Library and Museum, was a forgery.
"The former proved what something was - the latter proved what something wasn't, and now the portrait is the most famous painting in the library's collection ... for all the wrong reasons. Both discoveries were featured in front-page articles in The New York Times."
All members of the public are welcome to attend "The Demise of Mary Lincoln."
The History Center's Coffee Talks are an adult program series meant to invite public participation and discussion on a broad range of historical topics per the History Center's mission. This program is presented by Village Bank & Trust.
The next virtual Coffee Talk, "Camp Grant During World War I and II," will take place in August.
The Des Plaines History Center is at 781 Pearson St., Des Plaines. For information, call (847) 391-5399 or visit www.desplaineshistory.org.