Skip to content

Mary Edmonia Lewis

    Worthy of inclusion in any and all surveys of fine western art!

    Mary Edmonia Lewis (1844-1907), also known as “Wildfire,” was an American sculptor. Edmonia Lewis suffered racism, prejudice, and abject poverty. She attended Oberlin College near Cleveland, lived abroad in Italy and England for most of her life, and her patrons included a marquis, a prince, and a Pope.

    Death of Cleopatra (1876),
    Edmonia Lewis
    Forever Free (1867-68),
    Edmonia Lewis
    Old Indian Arrowmaker
    and His Daughter (1872),
    Edmonia Lewis
    Mary Edmonia Lewis
    (1844-1907)

    Lewis was recognized for her mastery of sculpture in marble. She did 100% of the grunt work required to prepare the stone for sculpture because she feared critics would question the authenticity of her creations “being of her hand.” Irma Ware published a profile of Lewis in her book BLK ART, and Romare Bearden wrote a comprehensive, scholarly profile in A History of African-American Artists from 1792 to Present.