News / Glasgow & West

Work by pioneering sculptor on display to mark Black History Month

A rare sculpture by Edmonia Lewis is going on public display on the Isle of Bute.

Work by pioneering sculptor on display to mark Black History Month — Black History Month: Edmonia Lewis was a pioneering 19th Century African American artist PA Media

STV News

4th Oct 2021

A rare sculpture by pioneering 19th Century American artist Edmonia Lewis is going on public display in Scotland to mark Black History Month.

Lewis was the first woman of African and Native American heritage to gain international recognition as an artist.

One of her marble sculptures completed in 1870, titled Bust Of Christ, is going on display in Mount Stuart mansion on the Isle of Bute.

It has been in the aristocratic Bute family’s private collection for many years but was only recently rediscovered by historians and academics.

<em>The bust is one of only two of Lewis’ works available to the public in the UK</em>. (PA/Mount Stuart)”/><cite class=cite></cite></div><figcaption aria-hidden=true><em>The bust is one of only two of Lewis’ works available to the public in the UK</em>. (PA/Mount Stuart) <cite class=hidden></cite></figcaption></figure><p>Lewis achieved international recognition as a neoclassical sculptor between the 1860s and 1890s, working in Rome, Paris and London after leaving the US.</p><p>Mount Stuart’s collections curator Jessica Insley said: “Edmonia Lewis led an extraordinary life that defied the restrictive 19th-century norms of gender, class, race, and artistic practice.</p><p>“It is a privilege to be able to share one of the few surviving religious subjects by Lewis with the public, and particularly in a space like the British country house, where the contributions of women artists and under-served groups have traditionally been overlooked.</p><p>“It is especially important to put the Bust Of Christ on display now when there is a steady increase in the scholarly attention paid to Edmonia’s work.”</p><p>The sculpture, which goes on display from Monday, is one of only two of Lewis’ works which are in public collections in the UK.</p><div class=

WhatsApp channel QR Code

Popular Videos

Aberdeen baker undergoes 12 operations after contracting sepsis following breast cancer surgery

North East & Tayside

Aberdeen's 'baking queen' endures 12 operations after contracting sepsis

Aberdeen Lads Club charity marks 100 years of helping young people and families

North East & Tayside

Aberdeen charity marks 100 years of helping young people and families

Glasgow disability-led theatre company want more disabled people playing disabled roles

Glasgow theatre company wants more disabled actors cast in disabled roles

Oxygen Works charity under financial pressure due to rising demand from illnesses including multiple sclerosis

Highlands & Islands

Oxygen Works charity under financial pressure due to rising demand

‘Incredibly difficult’: Nicola Sturgeon speaks after husband Peter Murrell is charged with embezzlement

'Incredibly difficult': Nicola Sturgeon speaks after husband is charged with embezzlement

Trending Now