Edmonia Lewis, American, 1844–1907; Portrait of a Woman, 1873; marble; without base: 23 × 16 1/2 × 11 1/4 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Museum Minority Artists Purchase Fund and partial gift of Thurlow E. Tibbs Jr. 1:1997
Edmonia Lewis was the first Black and Indigenous sculptor to gain international acclaim. Her career was marked by both loss and resilience. Despite facing tragedy, she persevered and honed her skills to connect with others, ultimately achieving fame while leaving a powerful legacy. One of her notable works, the sculpture bust titled Portrait of a Woman (1873), is part of the Saint Louis Art Museum collection. A new, digital “scrollytelling” experience has been developed to highlight recent curatorial findings, suggesting that the sitter of this sculpture was likely a close friend of Lewis’s, named Isobel Cholmeley.
Portrait of a Woman was acquired by SLAM in 1997. This piece joined a remarkable collection of works from historical American artists within SLAM’s American art collection. Crafted from marble, this sculpture demonstrates Lewis’s ability to create detailed imagery in her figures, whether they were personal or commissioned. The uniqueness of this artwork lies not only in the period during which it was created, but in the relationship it portrays, reflecting the friendship and sisterhood among expatriate women artists in Rome during the 19th century. It also reflects Lewis’s path as an artist, which began decades before she created the sculpture.
Edmonia Lewis, American, 1844–1907; Portrait of a Woman, 1873; marble; height with base: 29 1/2 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Museum Minority Artists Purchase Fund and partial gift of Thurlow E. Tibbs Jr. 1:1997
Lewis was born in 1844 in upstate New York and later traveled to Ohio to attend Oberlin College, where she pursued her studies in art. At Oberlin College, she explored her passion for art making and engaged in studies that laid the foundation for her future as a sculptor. However, attacks Lewis encountered in college dramatically affected her education. Following false accusations of poisoning her white female college friends, Lewis was kidnapped and assaulted by unidentified attackers. Although she was found not guilty in court, the racial hostility—and yet another false accusation of stealing art supplies—prevented her from enrolling for her final semester. These brutal and unjust incidents eventually prompted her to move to Boston, Massachusetts, to further develop her sculpting skills in 1863.
In Boston, Lewis encountered an environment that fostered her artistic mastery. There, she cultivated a supportive community, with newspapers covering her work in a positive light. To fund her career and art making, she portrayed Civil War heroes and abolitionists. A few years later, in 1865, Lewis set sail for Rome, searching for creative collaboration with women artists.
Lewis’s time in Rome was productive, as she worked alongside other expatriate artists in a shared studio. One of her fellow “sister sculptors,” Isobel Cholmeley, became a close companion. It is said that Cholmeley created a sculpture of Lewis, and in turn, Lewis honored her friendship by depicting Cholmeley in Portrait of a Woman, an almost life-sized marble sculpture she completed in 1873.
Edmonia Lewis - c.1870, Augustus Marshall
While Portrait of a Woman is not currently on view at SLAM, it is included in the traveling exhibition Edmonia Lewis: Said in Stone, which began at the Peabody Essex Museum and is set to travel to the Georgia Museum of Art and the North Carolina Museum of Art. Visitors can also learn more about the sculpture in the new digital experience on the SLAM website.
The experience, “Close Look: Edmonia Lewis,” guides visitors through the meticulous details of Portrait of a Woman, providing historical context for a deeper understanding of the artwork. Cholmeley’s hairstyle reflects the trends of the time, while the lattice detail of her gown may be reminiscent of a tea gown typically worn while hosting family and friends. This depiction highlights the friendship shared by Lewis and Cholmeley and underscores Lewis’s legacy as a master sculptor.
Augusta Savage, American, 1892–1962; cast by Roman Bronze Works, New York, New York, active 1897–1980s; Untitled (Girl with Pigtails), c.1931–40; bronze; 8 1/4 × 5 × 3 1/2 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Museum Purchase, Bequest of Edgar William and Bernice Chrysler Garbisch, and Gift of Mrs. Ophelia Hollowell, all by exchange 44:2023
Elizabeth Catlett, Mexican (born United States), 1915–2012; Seated Woman, 1962; mahogany; 22 1/2 × 13 1/2 × 7 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Friends Endowment Fund; Gift of Edward J. Costigan in memory of his wife, Sara Guth Costigan, by exchange; The James D. Burke Art Acquisition Fund, Eliza McMillan Trust, Funds given by the Alturas Foundation, and Museum Purchase 75:2019; © 2026 Mora-Catlett Family / Licensed by VAGA at Artists Rights Society (ARS), NY
Close Look: Edmonia Lewis concludes by emphasizing Lewis’s enduring legacy. She passed away in London, England, in 1904 at the age of 63. Although some of Lewis’s work may have fallen into obscurity over time, her life and legacy continue to inspire creativity and art making to this very day. Visitors can see her influence in the works of Augusta Savage and Elizabeth Catlett, two of the most important Black American artists of the 20th century, both of whom have pieces in the SLAM collection. Savage’s sculpture, Untitled (Girl with Pigtails), is on view in Gallery 333. Catlett’s sculpture, Seated Woman, is on view in May Department Stores Company Gallery 334. Explore Close Look for more information about Lewis’s influence on these artists.