Edmonia Lewis

#FallenThroughTheCracks – Edmonia Lewis was born a free woman circa July 4, 1844, in Upstate New York. She was an American sculptor, of mixed African American and Native American heritage. Lewis migrated to Boston in early 1864 to pursue her career as a sculptor. Her work was based in marble, focusing on incorporating themes relating to Black and Indigenous people of America in a Neoclassical-representation. One of her popular works, “Forever Free”, depicted a powerful image of a black man and woman emerging from the bonds of slavery.

She rose to prominence in the United States during the #CivilWar and was inspired by the lives of abolitionists and Civil War heroes. Lewis spent most of her adult career in #Rome, where Italy’s less pronounced racism allowed increased opportunities for black artists. “I was practically driven to Rome in order to obtain the opportunities for art culture, and to find a social atmosphere where I was not constantly reminded of my color. The land of liberty had no room for a colored sculptor.” she quoted.

Edmonia Lewis by Henry Rocher, c. 1870, Wikipedia Commons.

Edmonia Lewis, Hagar, 1875. ©Estate of Edmonia Lewis.

As a black artist, she had to be conscious of her stylistic choices, as her largely white audience often misread her work as self-portraiture. In order to avoid this, her female figures typically possess European features. A major highlight in her career was participating in the 1876 Centennial Exposition in Philadelphia in which she created the 3,015-pound marble sculpture titled The Death of Cleopatra. Then in 1877, former U.S. President Ulysses S. Grant commissioned her to do his portrait. Edmonia Lewis died on September 17, 1907 in London, England.

(Text paraphrased from Wikipedia and other sources. All Images are the property of the copyright owners. This clip is for educational purposes.)

Fallen Through The Cracks – Black Artists in History: Richmond Barthè

Fallen Through The Cracks – Richmond Barthè

Richmond Barthè

#FallenThroughTheCracks – Richmond Barthé was born in Bay St. Louis, Mississippi on January 28, 1901. He was an African-American sculptor associated with the Harlem Renaissance and for his portrayal of black subjects. The focus of his artistic work was portraying the diversity and spirituality of man. Barthé had his debut as a professional sculptor at The Negro in Art Week exhibition in 1927 while still a student of painting at the Art Institute of Chicago. He also exhibited in the annual exhibition of the Chicago Art League in April of 1928. The critical acclaim allowed Barthé to enjoy numerous important commissions such as the busts of Henry Ossawa Tanner and Toussaint L’Ouverture in 1928.

His first solo exhibition was held at the Women’s City Club in Chicago in 1930, exhibiting a selection of 38 works featuring sculpture, painting, and works on paper. While many young artists found it very difficult to earn a living from their art during The Great Depression, the 1930s were Richmond Barthé’s most prolific years. The shift from the Art Institute of Chicago to New York City exposed Barthé to new experiences as he arrived in the city during the peak of the Harlem Renaissance.

Richmond Barthé, Head of a Dancer, 1937. © Estate of Richmond Barthé

Richmond Barthé with *Stevedore*, 1937. Photo: Rex Madsen and Jimmie Daniels Collection, Amistad Research Center, New Orleans, LA

During his sixty-year career, Barthé received numerous prestigious awards for his art, including Rosenwald and Guggenheim fellowships. Barthé, together with the painter Jacob Lawrence, was also the first African American artist to be represented in the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s permanent collection. And In 1945, he was elected to the American Academy of Arts and Letters. Barthe passed away on March 5, 1989. He was considered by writers and critics as one of the leading “moderns” of his time.

(Text paraphrased from Wikipedia and other sources. All Images are the property of the copyright owners. This clip is for educational purposes.)