Portrait engravings by William Edgar Marshall - Critical Essay - Biography

Magazine Antiques, Feb, 2004 by Gregory E. Mescha

Quite possibly the most widely distributed and best known original work of art in the United States following the Civil War was the engraved portrait of Abraham Lincoln (Fig. 3) executed by William Edgar Marshall (Pl. I). "Found ... in a vast number of households," it was reported that "many homes cherish among their best examples of art Marshall's interpretation of the ... Saver' of our country." (1) It was said to be "the most perfect exemplification of American attainment in popular portraiture of its time." (2)

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Supremely regarded in the nineteenth century, Marshall's portrait of Lincoln has long since fallen from grace as a serious work of art and is now too often dismissed as merely sentimental and reproductive. Familiar as the image is, and hackneyed as it may now seem because of overexposure, when considered objectively it is nevertheless discovered to be a physically impressive and beautifully executed print that attests to Marshall's superb command of the engraving medium. It easily ranks as one of the finest American portrait engravings, and Marshall himself merits renewed consideration as one of the premier portrait engravers of all time.

Mainly self-taught, Marshall began his career in adolescence as an engraver of watchcases. In 1856, just nineteen years old, he was encouraged by his mentor, Cyrus Durand (1787-1868), to make his first two portrait prints, the engraved images of that year's presidential candidates, James Buchanan (1791-1868) and John Charles Fremont (1813-1890). (3) His highly successful resolution of these subjects led to Marshall's appointment as chief engraver at the American Bank Note Company in 1858. (4)

His first venture into popular portraiture for the commercial market came in 1860 with his engraving of James Fenimore Cooper (1789-1851) after a painting by Charles Loring Elliott (1812-1868). Upon its completion, the New-York Daily Tribune described the engraving as "very beautiful," reporting that "Mr. Elliot would consent to paint the portrait only on the condition that it should be engraved by Mr. Marshall." (5)

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In 1862 Marshall made the engraving that solidly established his reputation, his portrait of George Washington (Fig. 2) after the famous Gilbert Stuart painting then in the Boston Athenaeum. Marshall started his work on "that magnificent plate" (6) using photographs of Stuart's original, but he reportedly became dissatisfied with the results. (7) Arriving at the Boston Athenaeum to examine the actual painting, Marshall exclaimed, "I see I am all wrong. I have been working in the dark. There was no color in my models, and I must have color." (8) By special arrangement, Marshall was permitted to set up a studio within the Athenaeum and completed work on the engraving on site. The print was received with overwhelming praise. In describing its "perfection of ... execution," Edward Everett (1794-1865), a clergyman and statesman, wrote, "It is truly a superb work .... It places Mr. Marshall at once by the side of the Masters of his Art." (9) It was aggressively promoted and marketed, and distribution was very widespread.

At the time of its release on November 15, 1862, the Washington image was proclaimed the "largest head ever cut in America." (10) As Marshall's career progressed, he continued to break his own record: his 1866 print of Lincoln was over twice the size of his Washington. Marshall's plates continued to increase in size in the years that followed. Some of his later prints have been described as "poster-like." (11)

As early as 1860, Marshall began to paint while still continuing to engrave. However, it appears that not until after his financial success with the print of Washington was he able to devote himself completely to the practice of fine art, traveling to Paris in 1864 to study, possibly under Thomas Couture (1815-1879). (12) His efforts were rewarded by the French Academy of Fine Arts when two of his works, including his engraving of Washington, were selected for inclusion in its exhibition of 1865. (13) Two years later he was represented at the Exposition Universelle in Paris by his portrait of Washington together with his recently issued image of Lincoln. (14)

Upon news of President Lincoln's assassination in April 1865, a distraught Marshall abruptly returned to the United States for the purpose of "engraving a portrait of the martyr-President." (15) "When asked ... what portrait he would take for his model he answered, 'None. I will paint my own.'" (16) Marshall is known to have painted three portraits of Lincoln, all incorporating the same facial depiction found in the print. (The image is based on photographs--the president never sat for him in person.) In addition, there are four more documented paintings of Lincoln that evince Marshall's interpretation of the man's face. They faithfully reproduce the portrait within the oval area of the engraving, varying only in size. (17) Since the provenance of these works has yet to be firmly established, it is impossible to certify that Marshall painted them himself.