As a Black and Indigenous woman, Edmonia Lewis overcame prejudice and defied societal expectations to become a successful sculptor. Her Death of Cleopatra exemplifies how she navigated her own path through subject matter and artistic tradition. Edmonia Lewis's best-known work in her lifetime was the Death of Cleopatra, a twelve-foot tall sculpture weighing two tons that took four years to execute. Exhibited at the 1876 Centennial, Cleopatra was called 'the grandest statute in the exposition.'

Edmonia Lewis (American, 1844-1907) • Death of Cleopatra • c. 1876 • Marble • 63 x 31 1⁄4 x 46 in. (160.0 x 79.4 x 116.8 cm.), Smithsonian American Art Museum #art #sculpture #AmericanMaster #WomanArtist #EdmoniaLewis #AfricenAmericanWoman #WomensHistoryMonth #19thCenturyAmericanArt