Untitled (Teacher)

Copied William Edmondson, Untitled (Teacher), ca. 1932-1940, carved limestone, 12 × 3 7⁄8 × 7 5⁄8 in. (30.5 × 9.8 × 19.4 cm), Smithsonian American Art Museum, The Margaret Z. Robson Collection, Gift of John E. and Douglas O. Robson, 2016.38.88

Artwork Details

Title
Untitled (Teacher)
Artist
Date
ca. 1932-1940
Location
Dimensions
12 × 3 7⁄8 × 7 5⁄8 in. (30.5 × 9.8 × 19.4 cm)
Credit Line
The Margaret Z. Robson Collection, Gift of John E. and Douglas O. Robson
Mediums Description
carved limestone
Classifications
Subjects
  • Occupation — education — teacher
  • Figure female — full length
Object Number
2016.38.88
Linked Open Data
https://edan.si.edu/saam/id/object/2016.38.88

Artwork Description

William Edmondson began making gravestones for the African American community of Nashville, Tennessee, around 1927. Using a railroad spike as his chisel, he hammered local limestone into geometric headstones and sculptural forms of animals and people. His figural works are among his most poignant, tributes to everyday heroes, including Black teachers, signaling their elevated status with books in hand, subtly carved into the figure’s side as an inherent part of their identity.
(We Are Made of Stories: Self-Taught Artists in the Robson Family Collection, 2022)