Moses (after Michelangelo)

Edmonia Lewis (c.1844-1907)

1875

Marble

26 3⁄4 x 11 1⁄2 x 13 5⁄8 in. (68.0 x 29.2 x 34.6 cm.)

Collection: Smithsonian American Art Museum, 1984.149.1. Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Alfred T. Morris, Jr., 1984.

See below for commentary.

Image identified by the museum as "free to use." [Click on the image to enlarge it, and mouse over the text for links.]

Sculpted in Rome, where Lewis was developing her skills by copying, and where there was a market for such copies among tourists, the statue does not give prominence to the tablet of the Ten Commandments. For Lewis, Moses's role in leading the Israelites out of captivity would probably have had greater significance, expressing "the desire for freedom felt by many blacks during the nineteenth century" (museum's comment). The copy certainly demonstrates Lewis's ability to engage with large-scale, portentous figures. — Jacqueline Banerjee

Link to Related Material

• Beverly Andrews' discussion of Lewis in "Black Voices from the Past"

Bibliography

"Moses (after Michelangelo)." SAAM. Web. 14 August 2024.

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Created 14 August 2024