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
Portraits are AI-generated interpretations, not photographs.
Quick facts
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- 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.
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Sources
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Smithsonian American Art Museum
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