Cleveland daily leader. [volume] ([Cleveland, Ohio]) 1865-1873, 1866-04-03
A Negro scuIptres. in Rome.

We ind the following highly enthusi-
astic description of a young negress now
studying statuary in Rome. Oberlin
readers will recognize ~Miss Edmonia
Lewis as a young colored girl who spent
some time in study there, and left about
three years ago urder somewhat suspicious
circumstances
An interesting novelty has sprung up
among US, in a city where all our sur
roundings are of the Olden time. Miss
EdmOnia Lewis, a lady of color, has tax
en- a studio in Rome, and works as a
sculptress in one of the rooms occupied by
the great master CanOva. She is the only
lady of her race in the United States who
has thus applied herself to the study an !
practice of s%culptural art, and the fact is
so remarkable and unique that a brief
sketch of her life, given almost in her own
words, will, l am sure, be acceptable to
the wide circle of your readers. "My
mother" she told me only last Monday,
was Il wild Indian, and WAS born in Al
bany, Of copper color and with
straight black hair. There she
made and sold moccasins. NY
father, who was a negro, and a gentleman's
servant, saw her and married her. 1 was
born at G~reenhigh, in Ohio. Mother
often left her home, and wandered with
her people, whose habits she could not for
get, and thus we, her children, We're
brought up in the same wild manner.
Until l was Il years old I led this wan
derinS life, fishing and swimming" she
added with great glee, ''and making moe
casins. / was then sent to school for
three years in MGraw, but was declared
to be wild-they could do nothing with
me-. Often they said to me-: Here is
your book, the book of Nature come and
study it, From this schOd4 l was sent to
another at Oberlin, in Ohio, where l re-
manned four years, and then l thought of
returning to wild life again but my love
OF sculpture forbade it. Some friends re
commended me to go to England, but 1
thought it better first to study in Rome.
And here she is, tn. descendant and men,
Der of a much injured race, struggling
against ignorant prejudice, but with genius
enough to prove that she bears the image
of him who made all the nations under
the sun.
While her youth and her color claim
our warmest sympathies Miss Edmonia
Lewis has a very engaging appearance
and manners Her eyes and the up
per part of her face are fine; the crisp
hair and thick lips, on the other hand, be-
speak her negro paternity. Marie in
manner, happy and cheerful, and all IN
conscious of difficulty, because obeying a
great impulse, she prattles like a child and
with much simplicity and spirit pours
forth all her ASPIRATIONS. At present, she
has little to show; she appeals TO the pa
tronage and protection of the civilized and
the Christian world. There Is the cast of
a bust of Colonel Shaw, who commanded
the first colOred regiment that was ever
formed, and who died "a leader for all
time in Freedoms Chivalry." The bust
was executed from Il photograph, and now,
rs a commission from the sisterof Colonel
Shaw, is being transferred to marble.
Another commission is a bust of Mr..
Die. Lewis, 1 believe of New York. Her
first ideal group was to be executed under
promise for some gentleman in Boston,
and, in the true spirit of a heroine, she
has selected for her subject "The Freed
woman on her first hearing of her Liber-
ty." She has thrown herself on her
knees, and with clasped hands and
uplifted eyes, she blesses God for her re-
demption. Her boy, ignorant of the cause
of her agitation, hangs over her knees
and clings TO her waist. She wears the
turban which was used when at work.
Around her wrists are the halfbroken
manacles, and the chain lies on the ground
still attached to a large ball.