Sculptor (1845-1890)
Riding the crest of the neoclassical revival in the 1870s, sculptress Edmonia Lewis attracted wide notice in a field generally dominated by men. She was, in fact, the first African American sculptor to achieve international distinction. Born in 1845, in Greenhigh, Ohio , Edmonia's father was an African American servant and her mother a Chippewa Indian. Her childhood was nomadic one as she was raised mostly by her mother's tribe. Around 1860, Edmonia traveled to Boston in hopes of a musical career. She became interested in sculpting.
The neoclassical sculptor Edward Brackett became her mentor, and she soon created a well-received medallion portraying the abolitionist martyr, John Brown. Lewis' first exhibition in 1864 featured a bust of Col. Robert Shaw, leader of a Negro regiment, of which a hundred copies were eventually sold. In 1867, Miss Lewis set off for Rome where she found true fame for her work. Rome, at this time, was a Mecca for American sculptors, many of them women. The Greek revival was reaching its height and Lewis' work began to sell for large sums. By 1873, she had won two $50,000 commissions. Her studio became a fashionable place for tourists.
Revised:July 18, 2013.
