Late in 1863 a young painter named Francis B. Carpenter wished to commemorate the issuance of the Emancipation Proclamation. The likable and well-connected Carpenter received President Lincoln's consent during a visit to the White House. "Well, Mr. Carpenter, we will turn you loose in here," said Lincoln. The painter set up a studio in the state dining room and worked for months in 1864 under a lighted chandelier. It was a marvelous opportunity to observe the president and converse with him. The Inner Life of Abraham Lincoln: is Carpenter's account of his experience. He watched the daily...