Mark of the artist

Look closely - especially at Lincoln's eyes. Can you tell which nationality the artist was? Did you guess Chinese? If you did, you'd be right.

This cast bronze statue of Lincoln was a gift to the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library in 2009 from artist Yuan Xikun of Beijing, China. The original statue in Beijing is seven feet tall. Lincoln's pose with the spyglass in his hand refers to his, "overarching command and fortitude during war" rather than a specific time or event, according to a little sign nearby.

Artists put features of themselves unknowingly into their work. For example, some speculate DaVinci's Mona Lisa is actually a self-portrait of Leonardo as a woman. I think it's really cool how Xikun's bronze has almond-shaped eyes and a rounder face than photos show of Lincoln. It's almost as if Xikun's respect for Lincoln is so great, he's superimposed his own eyes onto Lincoln.

What do you think? Does this cast bronze statue of Lincoln by Yuan Xikun have Chinese features?