Customer Reviews

Edmonia Lewis: Wildfire in Marble

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Like Zora Neale Hurston, Edmonia Lewis was a female artist of color whose work and name was unknown for decades. Wolfe's work, like Walker's work for Hurston, tries to change this. Because little is known about Lewis, Wolfe can be commended for what she found. However, the many lacunae in Lewis' life will frustrate some readers.

Lewis is known for being African American and Native American. Her picture appears in Katz' book "Black Indians." Even Wolfe's words imply that Lewis was half Chippewa and half Black, early in the book, Wolfe says Lewis' grandfather married a Native woman. It sounds like Lewis was 75% Black and 25% Native. The book leaves me unsure of her precise breakdown.

Though educated and showing an early knack for art, Lewis can be seen as an autodidact in sculpting. She did not want to bring attention to her ethnic heritages. However, she made works with African American and Native subjects. She covered classic subjects, but modern viewers may relate with our culture of celebrity, because she also made works of contemporary famous leaders and authors.

Wolfe's book never makes a statement about Lewis' sexuality. It doesn't note that she never married or had any partners. However, according to LGBTQ, one can speculate that she was lesbian. She had lesbian artist friends, she worked in a gender-atypical field, and stereotypically, some noted her "mannish" clothing. I am not sure whether Wolfe was squeamish in this matter or didn't want to guess on any subjects where she had no concrete information.

In a way, the last chapter is the most important, Wolfe describes racism faced by Black men and sexism by white women in the 19th Century art world. Her point is that, as a woman of color, Lewis' achievements at the time are doubly shocking and impressive. I found many parallels between her and Frida Kahlo. Both may have been seen as "mannish" and both may have loved women. Both were biracial. Both lived in more than one nation during their lives. Both were women who made artistic works on women. Both had subjects across racial categories. Fridaholics, like myself, may especially love learning about Lewis.

This work as written for young readers, perhaps those in junior high. However, at least two sources imply that this is the only booklength work on Lewis. Someone really needs to write a Lewis biography for adults. Perhaps that is where and when sexuality and gender matters may be fleshed out more effectively.

Even though this is a children's book, "Wildfire in Marble" is one of the best sources of information about the remarkable 19th century African/Ojibwe sculptor. Edmonia Lewis was an extraordinary woman, who deserves the current revival of interest in her neo-Classical sculpture. Wolfe cobbles together an engaging account of Lewis' life despite very scant information and describes hardships that Lewis faced and overcame. Wolfe across traces some of the journeys Lewis' sculptures made through the last century, especially the rediscovery of her monumental "Death of Cleopatra."