In 2017, a portrait of Abraham Lincoln made out of 24,500 pennies won over $200,000 in prizes at the ninth annual ArtPrize international art competition. Richard Schlatter, a 73-year-old artist, illustrator and former ad executive from Battle Creek, Michigan, created the piece, which he titled “A. Lincoln” after the way in which the 16th president wrote his signature.

“A. Lincoln” is a 96-square-foot (eight feet wide by 12 feet tall) portrait of the 16th President of the United States, consisting of 24,500 pennies and five pounds of glue that altogether weighs approximately 400 pounds. Each year of the coin series is represented, from 1909 through 2017, and each cent is unaltered in any way. Schlatter stated that he sorted through tens of thousands of pennies to get the colors he needed–including 1,681 steel cents produced during World War II to conserve copper for the war effort that eventually became Lincoln’s shirt.

According to the artist, it took about 315 hours to finish the work. Schlatter began the project on Lincoln’s birthday (February 12) and installed the final pieces on the day that Lincoln died (April 15).

The yearly art event, is based out of Grand Rapids, Michigan, with art displayed at various businesses and venues downtown. “A. Lincoln” won the Public Vote grand Prize of $200,000, as well as the $12,500 Public Vote Prize in the two-dimensional art category. Speaking on the public Grand Prize vote, ArtPrize’s Executive Director Christian Gaines made the following statement on the organization’s website:

“The public has chosen work that is large scale, iconic and familiar, and one that reflects qualities that are widely admired – patience, skill and considerable labor … Though this work depicts an image we’ve seen before in myriad ways, when we see it at this epic scale we’re invited to stop and reflect on our 16th president who set in motion the abolition of slavery in the United States.”

The artist, who has designed fonts and illustrated children’s books, has said that he made the portrait of Lincoln to use as an educational tool, outlining his thoughts in a brochure he created explaining the work. Schlatter believes that “A. Lincoln” has a special resonance in today’s polarized political culture. He will donate a portion of his grand prize money to a Battle Creek women’s shelter.

As for the portrait itself, Schlatter has received inquiries from interested parties, including one from someone who would donate it to a museum dedicated to the life and legacy of Abraham Lincoln.

1,346 artists from 47 countries and 41 states entered the competition. A preliminary round of voting whittled the field down to 20 selections in both the public and juried pools, and a second round ran through the final week of the event, ultimately selecting the winner.

source credits: ArtPrize.org, mlive.org. battlecreekenquirer.com, detroitnews.com, coin.com