Edmonia Lewis

Edmonia Lewis (c. 1844–1907) was an American sculptor of African American and Native American heritage. She became known for marble sculptures that joined Neoclassical form with subjects drawn from Black history, Indigenous identity, and classical mythology.

The Death of Cleopatra: A monumental marble sculpture by Lewis depicting Cleopatra at the moment of her death. Its dramatic realism and scale challenged expectations of a woman sculptor's work.
Oberlin College: An Ohio college founded in 1833, known for admitting women and Black students in the nineteenth century. Lewis studied there before pursuing sculpture, though she left without graduating.
Anne Whitney: An American sculptor whose work addressed historical and political subjects in the nineteenth century. Whitney worked in Rome during Lewis's years there and belonged to its sculptural community.
African American art: Art made by African American artists, shaped by diverse histories, communities, and artistic traditions. Lewis's career became an early landmark for Black women in American sculpture.
Forever Free: A marble sculpture by Lewis depicting a Black man breaking free from bondage beside a standing woman. It makes emancipation visible through a sculptural group rather than an allegorical figure.
Boston: The capital of Massachusetts and a major center of abolitionist activity in the nineteenth century. After leaving Oberlin, Lewis established herself there and gained early artistic support.
Harriet Hosmer: An American Neoclassical sculptor who built a successful career in Rome. Hosmer's career offers a close comparison with Lewis's work and position abroad.
Women in the arts: The history and participation of women as creators, patrons, and leaders in the arts. Her international success confronted barriers facing women sculptors in the nineteenth century.
The Old Arrow Maker: A marble sculpture by Lewis showing an Indigenous father teaching his daughter to make arrows. It presents Native American life through the classical marble medium Lewis mastered.
William Lloyd Garrison: An American abolitionist and newspaper editor who founded The Liberator in 1831. Boston abolitionist circles connected Lewis with supporters who helped launch her career.

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Augusta SavageCompared with: Lewis offers an earlier comparison for the barriers Savage faced as a Black woman sculptor.