The Black and Native American sculptor who found freedom in Rome

Art · Published 2 October 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: In the 19th-century United States, Edmonia Lewis faced trial for poisoning and accusations of theft. Yet, this pioneer of Neoclassical sculpture escaped racial prejudice by moving to Italy, where she transformed her heritage into international marble masterpieces.

Born around 1844 to a mother of Mississauga Ojibwe and African-American descent, Edmonia Lewis lived a life marked by both extreme hardship and remarkable resilience. After losing both parents by age nine, she was raised by aunts near Niagara Falls, selling Ojibwe baskets and moccasins to tourists. Though she later presented herself as a 'wild' child of the forests, her academic record at New York Central College was exemplary, covering subjects from Latin to arithmetic.

Lewis's path was fraught with legal and social turmoil. While studying at Oberlin Academy, she was famously accused of poisoning two classmates with 'Spanish Fly' in 1862. Though the charges were eventually dismissed due to a lack of evidence, the incident—and subsequent accusations of theft—left her isolated. Seeking an environment where she was not 'constantly reminded' of her race, she moved to Boston in 1864 to pursue sculpture, eventually relocating to Rome in 1866.

In Italy, Lewis found the social and spiritual freedom to thrive. Unlike many of her contemporaries, she refused to delegate the enlargement of her clay models to Italian artisans, insisting on carving the marble herself. Her work blended the Neoclassical style with themes of Black and Indigenous identity, producing significant pieces like 'Forever Free' and 'The Arrow Maker'. Her career reached heights that included commissions from U.S. President Ulysses S. Grant and a massive 3,015-pound sculpture, 'The Death of Cleopatra', for the 1876 Centennial Exposition.

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