EDMONIA LEWIS
NOW
AVAILABLE: The Indomitable Spirit of Edmonia
Lewis. A Narrative Biography, by
Harry Henderson ( co-author of A History of African American Art from
1792 to the Present) and Albert Henderson, winner of the eLit GOLD award:
"Illuminating Digital Publishing Excellence." Independent
Opinion: "The Hendersons’ monument of research and
craftsmanship seeks to give Lewis the consideration that she has been
denied—not dissimilar to the artist’s own commitment to proving her
competitors and critics wrong, demonstrating that a minority could take on the
hegemonic tradition of fine arts. The book provides crystalline accounts of
Lewis’s feuds and mentorships, as well as rich illustrations of the works
being discussed throughout. Overall, the authors deliver a well-constructed mix
of primary resources, critical analysis and literary flourishes." - Kirkus
Reviews. "Thank you so much for your excellent research ... Your
work on Edmonia Lewis will be used for many years to come by scholars, art
historians, art collectors and anyone interested in knowing more about this
outstanding woman" - Dr. Sheryl Colyer. "Lewis’s
story is all at once interesting and sad. Her life, while forgotten for a while
is now making a come back among art historians and this immense work helps to
secure her artistic legacy." Lifelong Dewey "A key
acquisition for any arts or African-American history holding. The authors'
attention to precise scholarship provides all the details of a solid linear
history and biography but the end result is anything but dry: it reads with the
passion and drama of good literature." Midwest Book Review
"A definitive biography" Washington Times "
"
- Links Goodreads.
Home Bio- Chronology Auctions Bibliography Links Becoming an Artist Quotes Critics 1883 Magi Who's Who Blog
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New - Recent
May 7, 2020 Swann Galleries. Printed & Manuscript African
Americana - Sale 2534 Lot 90. Edmonia Lewis CDV portrait, Henry Rocher.
https://catalogue.swanngalleries.com/Lots/auction-lot/(ART)-Rocher-Henry;-photographer-Carte-de-visite-portrait-of?saleno=2534&lotNo=90&refNo=761230
Feb 20, 2020. 11 am Cowan's Auctions - The Road West: The Steve Turner Collection of African Americana, Part I Lot 69. "Edmonia Lewis CDV 1870" Augustus Marshall's photo shop was next door to Edmonia Lewis's space in Boston's studio building, suggesting the pose preceded her 1865 move to Italy. How young she looks campared to Rocher's series, which would have been taken in 1870, during Lewis's Chicago show. Price Realized Including Buyer's Premium $15,000 02/20/2020
March 28, 2019 1:30 pm Swann Galleries African Americana Sale 2503 Lot 119 cdv of Edmonia Lewis by Augustus Marshall ca 1864-5. [In 1868, Frank Leslie's Illustrated News published an etching made from this pose -- with which we illustrated the cover of our Edmonia Lewis biography.] Estimate $1000 - 1500. Price realized, $6,000 with buyer's premium. See also: http://edmonialewis.com/blog.htm#Earliest
March 29, 2018 1:30pm Swann Galleries Lot 47.Collection of cartes-de-visite photos 83 mostly cartes-de-visite photos. "This may be a previously unknown image of Lewis." Estimate $6,000 - 9,000. Price realized: $47,500 with buyer's premium.
Other Values
Nov.22, 2016 Lot 15. Minnehaha bust, marble, signed and dated. 12" Bonhams New York American Art. Sold for $37,500, incl. premium. Provenance: private collection, California, by descent.
May 21, 2016 Lot 301. Hiawatha, after Edmonia Lewis. marble, unsigned, 13.5" Thomaston Place Auction Galleries, Thomaston, ME. Starting bid $3000. Passed.
April, 2016Minnehaha bust 1868 offered at $35,000 by Lucien Zakay, Atlanta, GA.
Sept. 10, 2015 A pair of 1868 busts, Hiawatha and Minnehaha, is offered by the Gerald Peters Galley in New York City as part of its "A Different Perspective" exhibition (to Oct. 10). 212-628-9760
March 25, 2015 "Minnehaha" - 11 3/4 in.high, white marble, signed - Sold for $27,500 includng buyer's premium. at Christies, New York. SALE 3723 Lot 75
Jan. 1, 2015: Rebecca at the Well. signed, 42 1/2" high white marble offered at auction by Fine Arts Auctions. Lot 49. Starting bid. $12,000. Passed..
July 19, 2012. Doyle New York Lot 1127: Portrait Medallion Signed EDMONIA LEWIS and inscribed and dated ROMA 1871. Marble, 18" Sold for $17,500, including buyer's premium. Doyle New York did not identify the subject as Ralph Walco Emerson, but the collector, Lee B. Anderson, did when Harry Henderson visited him in 1980.
------. Lot 1129: American School 19th Century Bust of Ralph Waldo Emerson. Inscribed EMERSON. Marble, 13" Sold for $344, including buyer's premium At the time of Harry Henderson's visit, Lee Anderson attributed this bust to Edmonia Lewis.
May, 2011 DuMouchelles, Detroit MI Lot 042022 Marble bust of Hiawatha 14" attributed to Edmonia Lewis sold at auction for $7000.
Nov. 29, 2010: SOLD for $287,500. Gabriel's Auctioneers of Norwood, Mass., offered this dynamic Native American scene called Three American Indians in Battle a/k/a Indians Wrestling. (No title is inscribed.) "Fine Quality Antiques & Estates Auction," Lot 100. The auction was covered by Marilyn Richardson in Maine Antique Digest.
July 10, 2010: SOLD for $27,255. Boston, Skinner Auctioneers offered an Allegorical Maiden, Spring, the standing figure wearing classical dress, with gauzy scarf covering head and face, and clutched in one hand at her chin, the other hand holding a rose, on round, naturalistic base, incised at edge with signature and title, and dated 1880, ht. 34 1/2 in. ... some natural flaw lines in stone, minor handling wear to head and some soiling, a small area of scuffing to spot at back, age typical minor small chips to edge of base." Lot 452.
The similarly 'veiled' Bride of Spring sold by Cowan's in 2007 stands 48" high (see below).
Dec. 3, 2009: Sotheby's New York sold a signed Marriage of Hiawatha dated 1872 for $206,500, including buyer's premium. The piece was property of Nazareth Academy High School, Philadelphia, Pa., acquired as a gift around 1930.
Nov. 30, 2009: Two EBay auctions from Akron, Ohio, ended - without
a successful bid.*
(A) Plaster
Bust of John Brown by Edmonia Lewis - Buy it now $50,000 or best
offer. No Shipping.
(B) Plaster Bust of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow by Edmonia Lewis - Buy it now $50,000 or best offer. No Shipping.
*Seller has withdrawn EBay auction ending Nov. 21, 2009: Marble bust of Minnehaha signed and dated 1868, 11.625 in. high. Starting bid $1,699. Marilyn Richardson wrote, "The marble Minnehaha bust ... offered on eBay [was] a scam, the "seller" even used my catalogue essay verbatim as a description for one. I contacted him with a couple of questions to make sure he was not legit and then contacted eBay. They investigated and had the items removed."May 21, 2009: Sotheby's New York offered Marriage of Hiawatha dated 1874, estimating its value at $125,000 to $175,000. In spite of a depressed economy and a downward trend in art auction sales, the hammer price including buyer's premium of $314,500 set a new record for this artist.
February 7, 2009: Cowan's sold a bust of Minnehaha (1868) for $52,875, including buyer's premium.
On May 22, 2008: Sotheby's New York offered the Old Arrowmaker. Estimated value $70,000 to $100,000. The hammer price, including buyer's premium set a record at $301,000 for this artist's works.
In October 2007: a private collector purchased the 1879 'Veiled' Bride of Spring from Cowan's Auctions in Cincinnati for $138,000 (lot 644). Lewis had donated it to Good Samaritan hospital in Cincinnati. It had been put out to salvage when the hospital moved to a new building and finally found in a Kentucky library by an astute art historian.
A summary of earlier auction prices appears in the introduction to The Indomitable Sprit of Edmonia Lewis, by Harry Henderson and Albert Henderson.
05/08/2020