Lewis, Edmonia (Mary)

c.1844-1907 · Contribution: 1864-1876

Visual Arts

First professional sculptor of African American and Native American heritage to achieve international recognition

Visual Arts — collage image
Visual Arts

Portraits are AI-generated interpretations, not photographs.

Quick facts

Category
Visual Arts

Impact on the world

Lewis broke into the elite, European-dominated world of neoclassical sculpture as a Black and Native woman, carving works that placed emancipation and her own heritage at the center of high art.

Sources

  1. Smithsonian American Art Museum

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