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<I>George Scott Winslow</I>

Edmonia Lewis, American, 1844 - 1907

Edmonia Lewis is one of the most important American sculptors of the 19th century. The free-born child of an African American man and a Chippewa woman, Lewis was also known by her tribal name, Wildfire. After studies at Oberlin College and apprenticeships in Boston, she moved to Rome and joined a community of American expatriate artists. Portrait medallions like this one are extremely rare in her oeuvre.

Date

1866

Type

bas-reliefs

Medium

marble

Department

NMAAHC

Institution

National Museum of African American History and Culture

Object number

nmaahc_2018.29

Credit

Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture