Edmonia Lewis

A richly illustrated volume accompanying the first retrospective of Black and Indigenous American sculptor Edmonia Lewis.

Edmonia Lewis (ca. 1844–1907) broke international, racial, and gender barriers as a talented young artist who travelled to Rome in 1866 to join the leading American sculptors of her generation. She created acclaimed figurative works in marble and achieved great success, but her status as a woman of African American and Indigenous (Mississauga) heritage complicated the critical reception of her oeuvre during her lifetime. Following her death, Lewis's contribution to American sculpture was largely overlooked.

Accompanying the first monographic retrospective of Lewis, this lavishly illustrated volume presents images of all of Lewis's known works and shares new discoveries that illuminate her artistic advancements and defiant social commentaries. Essays place her sculptures in conversation with abolitionist and feminist visual cultures and consider the subjects Lewis addressed in her work, including Indigenous artistry, social and political reformers, and classical, religious, and mythological figures.

By looking at Lewis's sculptures in relationship with the artists and audiences of her era and ours, this beautiful book sheds new light on her networks, cultural impact, and enduring legacy.