Who Said This?

[Gene C]

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The person and scene in this painting portrait a quote on Abraham Lincoln.
Who is the person, where is he, and what is the "statement" of the quote (no need to quote literally)?

(And an extra point for who uttered the quote!)

As I understand the question, this is not in regards to a quote Lincoln made, but a quote about Lincoln made by someone else?

Would the quote be in regards to something that happened prior to the Civil War?

[Eva Elisabeth]

Yes, the quote was about Abraham Lincoln (and compared him to the very person in the image).
Good question, Gene, the person who said that did so after attending a Lincoln speech in 1854.

[Eva Elisabeth]

Hint #1: The man in the painting (to whom Lincoln was compared by the "author" of the quote) is a protagonist in a play by Lincoln's (likely) favorite author.

[David Lockmiller]

Oh, but the press are professionals who should check and know what they publish as a matter of responsibility. Especially such a prestigious paper should. (And then another German proverb says that ignorance doesn't protect from punishment, meaning it doesn't make the deed undone.)

But this was a New York Times Op-Ed. Mr. Egan was trying to make a persuasive argument against President Trump. It was the perfect "authoritative" argument for Mr. Egan to use against President Trump.

How many readers of the New York Times are going to question his Lincoln scholarship? Do you think that there is any real possibility that the New York Times is going to publish my letter to the editor that is legitimately critical of this New York Times columnist when the New York Times itself is in a feud with Mr. Trump, who defends himself with his Twitter account cannonade?

Timothy Egan wrote that Abraham Lincoln said: “No man has a good enough memory to be a successful liar." That is President Trump's weakness. He lies and then doubles down on his lies when called out for his falsehoods and, at the same time, personally attacks his accuser, even the New York Times.

By the way, I found in my readings last night what I believe to be the basis for the Lincoln misquote utilized by the New York Times columnist. In Caroline Thomas Harnsberger's book, "The Lincoln Treasury" of Lincoln quotations, I first looked under the topic "Lies" but did not find a direct reference to the quotation in question. But this topic referenced two other topic sources for consideration within the book, "Morals" and "Truth."

The first quotation under "Truth" is the following Lincoln quotation: "I never encourage deceit, and falsehood, especially if you have got a bad memory, is the worst enemy a fellow can have."

I believe that someone in the intervening years expansively created the Lincoln misquote from this source. And, as Roger stated: "I have seen that quote attributed to Lincoln on the Internet but never have found a legitimate original source for it."

Ironically, Harnsberger notes the following disclaimer regarding the original quotation: "From a letter to George E. Pickett, Feb. 22, 1842, often quoted, but considered by the Abraham Lincoln Association to be spurious -- Complete Works, volume I, p. 191"

[RJNorton]

Hint #1: The man in the painting (to whom Lincoln was compared by the "author" of the quote) is a protagonist in a play by Lincoln's (likely) favorite author.

Othello?

[Eva Elisabeth]

No, Roger, it is not Othello Lincoln was compared to.

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Hint #2: It was/is a "tragic" character from a comedy.
Hint #3: The setting as you can see is a forest. I had long thought is was a Belgium forest of similar name, but it actually is a forest in England. (The Belgium forest just has a French ending - and French is one of the three languages in Belgium...)

[Eva Elisabeth]

Hint #4: The quote dealt with a feature of Abraham Lincoln's personality we often discussed (also recently).
PS: Please notice there was a spelling mistake in my original intro - correct is portrayed as it is now (not portrait).

[L Verge]

Is there any way to enlarge and lighten the image. I can't take a guess because I can't see what the image is.

[Gene C]

Lincoln liked Shakespeare, so is the man in the painting a character from a Shakespeare play?

[Eva Elisabeth]

Is there any way to enlarge and lighten the image. I can't take a guess because I can't see what the image is.

Have you tried to download? I think the painting just is that way - however, it depicts a man in a wood which all portrays a scene from a play (the man being a protagonist).

Lincoln liked Shakespeare, so is the man in the painting a character from a Shakespeare play?

Yes, it is a character from a Shakespeare play, and the quote compares Lincoln respectively one of his features to the very protagonist.

This was the painter btw:
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Hodges

[RJNorton]

Puck?

[Eva Elisabeth]

Good idea, Roger, but Lincoln wasn't compared to Puck. It was v.v a less "cheerful" character (and feature). We have often discussed that trait in Lincoln.
Hint #5: The character's name is a French name.
Hint #6: A journalist said what I am looking for - he:
   

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PS: Remember, I didn't ask for the literal quote although it is in at least one quite recent well-known book on Lincoln (that also made a movie...) but for the person in the painting to whom Lincoln was compared, and what character trait it is about.

[RJNorton]

Jacques?

[Eva Elisabeth]

Sounds good, Roger - can you specify Jaques a bit? Where is he? And what about the feature?

[RJNorton]

He is in the Forest of Arden, and like Lincoln, suffers melancholy/depression. But I do not know the journalist you are asking about, but I shall guess Noah Brooks.