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Portrait of General Thomas Lincoln Casey, Sr. (1831-1896)

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Collection Type

  • Art

Date

1859

GUSN

GUSN-25940

Description

Portrait of General Thomas Lincoln Casey, Sr. (1831-1896). Waist length view, full face but looking slightly to the right. Sitter is wearing grey-brown military overcoat with sword hilt in gloved right hand. Short brown hair with moustache and beard. Mottled olive-brown background. Signed in upper right corner and dated "1859 Robt. W. Weir". Molded wood frame with gilt surround (not original).

Details

Descriptive Terms

oil paintings (visual works)
portraits
oil paint (paint)
canvas
Painting

Label

Thomas Lincoln Casey graduated from the Military Academy, West Point, in 1852, first in his class and was appointed a lieutenant in the Corps of Engineers. During the Civil War he was stationed at Fort Monroe on the coast of Maine. In 1878, President Hayes and Congress appointed TLC to complete the construction of the Washington Monument, which, although construction began in 1848, it had been abandoned due to design flaws. TLC redesigned the monument, which included strengthening the base, and Casey himself set the capstone in 1884. The monument was dedicated the following February. By 1888, he had risen to Chief of Engineers and Brigadier General. Among his achievements were overseeing the construction of the State, War, and Navy building.
This portrait was completed in the final year of his posting at West Point.

Associated Person

Casey, T. L. (Thomas Lincoln), 1831-1896

Maker

Weir, Robert Walter, 1803-1889 (Artist)

Location of Origin

New York

Dimensions

38 5/8 x 33 3/8 (HxW) (inches)

Credit Line

Estate of Phoebe M. McKernan

Accession Number

1980.407

Date

1859 (signed and dated upper right corner)

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