Edmonia Lewis, the first African-American sculptor to receive national recognition, was born in the village of Greenbush, near Albany, New York. Her father was Haitian, and her mother was partly Native American, of the Chippewa tribe, and partly African American. Lewis attended Oberlin College in Ohio and in 1863 moved to Boston, where she received instruction from the sculptor Edward Brackett. Two years later, she left the United States for Rome. She adopted the prevailing neoclassical style of sculpture, as seen in this nude bust, but softened it with a degree of naturalism, as reflected in the rendering of the facial features. Most sculptors relied on the local craftsmen actually to carve their works, but Lewis, sensitive to speculation that she was not responsible for her sculptures, carved them personally. She had a successful career, specializing in biblical subjects, themes recalling her Native American and African ancestry, and portrait busts. Her sculpture "The Death of Cleopatra" was favorably received when it was shown at the Philadelphia Centennial Exhibition in 1876.
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