Gretchen Carr
Independent Scholar Gretchen7881@gmail.com
Key Words: art, culture, justice, equity, inclusion, heritage, symbolism
Summary Statement
The monuments within our American landscape portray our collective history, ideals and culture, but their stories can often misrepresent the American story.
Background
Edmonia Lewis (1844-1907) was the first woman of African American and American Indian heritage to achieve international fame as a sculptor. She was educated at Oberlin College and studied sculpture in Rome. Her work includes themes relevant to African American and Indian American people in the neoclassical style. Edmonia Lewis was tragically forgotten after her death, until her most famous piece, The Death of Cleopatra (1875) was discovered, having been lost in the brush of a Chicago public park. Lewis reshaped her artist identity through her sculpture and, in so doing, impacted the life and culture of her times. She is one of the most important documented, celebrated Black cultural figures of the 19th century, and yet her story is largely untold.
Lewis’ sculpture “The Death of Cleopatra”, a white Carrara marble statue portraying the suicide of Cleopatra, premiered at the 1876 Philadelphia Centennial Exposition. She created the work within a four-year period without commission. It was praised by critics for its daring expressivity but was not purchased. Cleopatra was then shipped to the 1878 Chicago Interstate Exposition, eventually ending up at a Clark Street saloon. From there, it served as a grave marker for “Blind John” Condon’s’ award-winning filly, Cleopatra at the Harlem Racetrack (1892-1912). It then remained at the edge of a pond at the Harlem Golf Course, serving as a target for golf balls and the elements. In 1939, the golf course was purchased by the U.S. Navy, for the construction of a torpedo factory designed by Albert Kahn. The statue was transported to a salvage yard in the suburb of Cicero. In the mid-1980’s, firefighter Harold Adams, a Cicero Boy Scout troop leader, contacted Dr. Frank Orland of the Historical Society of Forest Park and informed him of the statue. Dr. Orland went on to do extensive research to discover the origins of the monument. Orland, in conjunction with Forest Park’s Conservation of Sculpture and Objects studio director, Andrezej Dajnowski, and the Smithsonian Institute, restored it to its near-original state, repairing the nose, sandals, hands, chin, and other damaged areas. In 1994, it was transported to the third floor at Smithsonian’s Museum of American Art, where it remains today.
Scope and Method
Merriam Webster cites the definition of a monument as “a lasting evidence, reminder, or example of someone or something notable or great a distinguished person, a memorial stone or a building erected in remembrance of a person or event.” In this dialogue circle, the following questions, will prompt a dialogue about the monuments that tell America’s story.
- Is Lewis’ Cleopatra in the right place? (Smithsonian American Art Museum, Washington, D.C.)
- Cleopatra was highly educated in the full laws and customs of Egypt, Greece, and Rome, she engrossed herself in science, philosophy, women’s issues, and most impressive the native language of Egypt. She chose to link herself with Egypt by her dress, worship, and representation. Even in the years immediately after Cleopatra’s death her memory was condemned by those who had defeated her, thus tainting the ancient sources. Did Lewis create Cleopatra to represent herself?
- Of all of America’s monuments, which ones come to mind first? Why?
- In your hometown/region, what monument(s) is most prominent? Do you believe it represents the place’s history and culture? Why or why not? What monument would you suggest adding to tell the story of your hometown/region.
Intended Outcome
This dialogue will prompt contemplation on how monuments and their stories can disproportionately celebrate and misrepresent our collective history, therefore it is necessary for citizens to participate in public art initiatives.
References
- John Rice, Interview by Gretchen Carr, February 2, 2025.
- Luther, Elaine. Lost and Found: Edmonia Lewis and the Death of Cleopatra, July 27,2021,https://beingbold.me/lost-and-found-edmonia-lewis-and-the-death-of-cleopatra/
- Rice, John and Tanzer, Gail, The Ghost of Cleopatra, 2019.
- “The Death of Cleopatra”, American Art Museum, Smithsonian Institution, Google. https://americanart.si.edu/artwork/death-cleopatra-33878.
