Anna Quincy Waterston

Copied Edmonia Lewis, Anna Quincy Waterston, ca. 1866, carved marble, 11 787 145 18 in. (30.218.512.9 cm.), Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Dr. Richard Frates, 1983.95.181
Free to use

Artwork Details

Title
Anna Quincy Waterston
Date
ca. 1866
Dimensions
11 787 145 18 in. (30.218.512.9 cm.)
Credit Line
Gift of Dr. Richard Frates
Mediums
Mediums Description
carved marble
Classifications
Keywords
  • Portrait female — Waterston, Anna Quincy — bust
Object Number
1983.95.181

Artwork Description

Edmonia Lewis often carved portraits of her patrons, either for a commission or as an expression of thanks. This piece depicts the poet Anna Quincy Waterston who, with her husband Reverend Robert C. Waterston, helped Lewis raise the money to pay for the first marbles she carved in Rome. The sculpture shows an elegant woman with a composed expression and a hint of a smile. The elaborate hairstyle and decorative clothing suggest a lady of wealth and importance in nineteenth-century society.