A special portrait of Steven Spielberg with Abraham Lincoln on his shoulder, by Dublin artist Mark Baker, will go under the hammer at an auction this weekend to raise funds for the building of a hospice in Wicklow.

The canvas oil painting shows the director in a sitting position wearing glasses and a baseball cap, with a shadow of Daniel Day-Lewis' character in the film, US president Abraham Lincoln, on his shoulder.

The standard price for the portrait, which is set to be signed by Lincoln director Spielberg, is around €2,000, but Mark hopes that the Oscar-winner's signature will bump up the price.

"The reserve price will be about €2,000, which is normal for a portrait of that size, but we expect it to be worth a lot more than that after he signs it and especially if Lincoln wins an Oscar," Mark, 28, told the Evening Herald.

Fresh from his victory at the Golden Globes last Sunday, Daniel-Day Lewis, the Wicklow based actor, will be flying into Dublin accompanied by Spielberg and Lincoln co-star Sally Field for the European premiere of Steven Spielberg’s Lincoln at the Savoy cinema this Sunday.

After the screening the actor is to host a “Lincoln Ball” at the Burlington Hotel, during which props and memorabilia from the film will be auctioned to raise funds for a new hospice. They will be joined by a host of Irish celebrities including Dublin director Jim Sheridan, Bono, the Edge, Sinead O'Connor and President Michael D Higgins.

Mark and another Irish artist, Eoin O'Connor, were approached about the paintings and Eoin completed a portrait of My Left Foot star Day-Lewis, which will also be put up for auction at Sunday's event.

Memorabilia including Lincoln's handmade knife, Lincoln's white gloves and miniature soldiers featured in the movie will all go under the hammer at the Dublin premiere next Sunday.

Day-Lewis, who won a Golden Globe for his portrayal of US President Abraham Lincoln, donated funds raised at the European premiere of the film to raise money for the hospice.