abolitionist which earned her enough money to travel to Europe – a decision made in part to escape the racial prejudice of America. She later told The New York Times in 1878: ‘The land of liberty had no room for a coloured sculptor.’ Arriving by boat in 1865, Lewis soon made her way to Rome. Here, inspired by the triumphant character of the Eternal City, she established a studio, experimented with marble, and developed her distinct Neoclassical style.
