Discover the captivating story of Emma Stebbins, a pioneering queer artist who defied conventions and left an indelible mark on the art world. From her iconic work at Bethesda Fountain to her trailblazing career as a woman in the arts, Stebbins’ legacy is about to be unveiled in a groundbreaking exhibition.
Unveiling the Life and Work of Emma Stebbins: A Pioneering Queer Artist
The Modest yet Talented Sculptor Behind Bethesda Fountain
If the name Emma Stebbins doesn’t trigger any specific associations, it’s not because she was insignificant. She was a neoclassical sculptor in an era when women weren’t particularly welcome in the arts. Moreover, she was a lesbian, and her relationship with actress Charlotte Cushman was far from being closeted. According to her 1882 obituary in the New York Daily Tribune, Stebbins had an extremely modest disposition, ‘withdrawing much into the shade of private life’ and thus limiting the extent of her accomplishments.
Emma Stebbins was an American sculptor born in 1815.
She is best known for designing the Angel of the Waters fountain in New York City's Central Park, completed in 1857.
Stebbins' work often featured mythological and allegorical themes.
She was one of the first women to study sculpture at the National Academy of Design in New York.
Her sculptures are characterized by their neoclassical style and attention to detail.
Despite this, Emma Stebbins is a household name for many reasons. Her iconic work, Angel of the Waters , stands atop Bethesda Fountain in New York City’s Central Park and has appeared in numerous films set in the city. This statue also serves as the focal point of the final scene of Tony Kushner’s Angels in America.
A Trailblazer in Every Sense
Emma Stebbins was a trailblazer in every sense. She was the first woman to receive a public art commission from New York City, designing and sculpting Angel of the Waters took ‘four winters’ according to her obituary; she liked to do her own carving. Stebbins studied under notable sculptors like John Gibson and Benjamin Paul Akers, and her work was featured at prominent institutions such as the National Academy of Design in New York and the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts.
Her work was highly sought after by collectors during her lifetime, with critics generally praising it for its beauty. However, not everyone was a fan; one critic panned Angel of the Waters for being too androgynous, stating that ‘the breasts are feminine, the rest of the body is in part male and in part female.’
A Life of Wealth and Artistic Pursuits
Stebbins was born into a wealthy family as one of nine children. Her parents supported her artistic pursuits, even encouraging her to travel to Rome in 1856 to study sculpting. There, she joined a community of artistic women expats that included sculptor Harriet Hosmer and actress Charlotte Cushman.
During this time, Stebbins completed several notable works, including The Lotus Eater , commissioned by Gibson, and Industry and Commerce , commissioned by entrepreneur Charles Heckscher. She also created a bust of Cushman, with whom she had a romantic relationship – the two exchanged vows and lived as married.
A Legacy Worth Exploring
Stebbins’ works beyond Angel of the Waters aren’t difficult to find but are relatively dispersed. However, this will change when the Heckscher Museum of Art in Huntington, New York opens ‘Emma Stebbins: Carving Out History’ in September. The exhibition will bring together fourteen rare marble sculptures by Stebbins, including Industry, Commerce, Sandalphon , and the bust of Charlotte Cushman.
Other notable works from private collectors, libraries, and major museums will also be showcased, including four previously lost sculptures that haven’t been displayed publicly for over a century. If you can’t make it to Long Island in the fall, you can still explore Stebbins’ work through her sister’s scrapbook or visit her statue of Christopher Columbus in Brooklyn.
The Heckscher Museum of Art will also offer insight into Stebbins’ world and Cushman’s influence upon it through innovative technology. This exhibition promises to be a groundbreaking exploration of the life and work of Emma Stebbins, shedding light on a pioneering queer artist who left an indelible mark on the art world.
