No. 13The 1800s
Neoclassical sculptureEdmonia Lewis
c. 1844 – 1907 · United States
Carved marble in Rome; her Cleopatra once marked a racehorse's grave.
All artistsNeoclassical sculpture
Neoclassical sculptureThe Death of Cleopatra, 1876. Edmonia Lewis. Public domain · Source: Wikimedia Commons
Sculpture
Edmonia Lewis
c. 1844 – 1907 · United States
Of African American and Ojibwe heritage, she moved to Rome and became the first sculptor of African and Native American descent to gain international fame.
Know more on Wikipedia (opens in a new tab)Fact file
- Born
- c. 1844
- Died
- 1907
- Country
- United States
- Era
- The 1800s
- Style
- Neoclassical sculpture
- Disciplines
- Sculpture
- Key work
- The Death of Cleopatra (1876)
- Medium
- Marble
- Where to see it
- Smithsonian American Art Museum, Washington, USA
Curiosity!
DocumentedThe two-ton statue disappeared for decades. It turned up as a grave marker for a racehorse named Cleopatra near Chicago, and was rediscovered in the 1980s.
What we know (and what we don’t)
- Not certain
Her date and place of birth are not certain.
- Documented
The Death of Cleopatra was shown at the 1876 Centennial Exposition in Philadelphia.
Where to see her
On view right now
- On now
Edmonia Lewis: Said in Stone
Georgia Museum of Art · Athens, Georgia, USA
8 Aug 2026 – 3 Jan 2027
Official page for Edmonia Lewis: Said in Stone (opens in a new tab) - On nowGroup show
Chisel & Razor: Art, Entrepreneurship, and the Lewis Family
Museum of the Rockies · Bozeman, USA
17 Oct 2026 – 12 Sep 2027
Official page for Chisel & Razor: Art, Entrepreneurship, and the Lewis Family (opens in a new tab)
Museums that own her work
- Smithsonian American Art MuseumWashington, DC, USA(opens in a new tab)
- The Metropolitan Museum of ArtNew York, USA(opens in a new tab)
Owning isn’t always showing: works rotate, go into storage or travel on loan — check before you go.
Hunting for a show we missed?
Exhibition list last checked 25 Oct 2026.