Church Lady

1933–37

William Edmondson (American, 1874–1951)

William Edmondson carved Church Lady with an abbreviated touch, barely giving form to the woman’s facial features and outfit as she holds a Bible in one hand and her purse in the other. This sculpture is one of several that Edmondson carved representating people from his hometown of Nashville, Tennessee. Inspired by a divine calling, he first produced tombstones for members of his community and later turned to freestanding sculptures like Church Lady that reflected its social structures and values. By the time he had completed this work, Edmondson was on his way to broader acclaim, and in 1937 was the first Black artist to have a solo exhibition at the Museum of Modern Art, New York.

Status: On View, Gallery 161
Department: Arts of the Americas

Artist: William Edmondson
Title: Church Lady
Place: United States (Artist's nationality:)
Date Dates are not always precisely known, but the Art Institute strives to present this information as consistently and legibly as possible. Dates may be represented as a range that spans decades, centuries, dynasties, or periods and may include qualifiers such as c. (circa) or BCE.: 1933–1937
Medium: Limestone
Dimensions: 48.7 × 19.4 × 19.4 cm (19 3/16 × 7 11/16 × 7 11/16 in.)
Credit Line: Through prior acquisition of the George F. Harding Collection
Reference Number: 2014.4

Annual Report (Art Institute of Chicago, 2013–14) p. 1.

Chicago, Museum of Contemporary Art, Duro Olowu: Seeing Chicago, Feb. 29–May 10, 2020.

William Edmondson (1874–1951), 1933–37; sold to Otto Fenn (1913–1993), New York, 1946; by descent to his companion John Krug, Sag Harbor, NY, 1993; sold to Martin Cohen, New York, c. 1994; to Margo Schab, New York, by 2013; sold to the Art Institute of Chicago, 2014.

Object information is a work in progress and may be updated as new research findings emerge. To help improve this record, please email . Information about image downloads and licensing is available here.

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Date Dates are not always precisely known, but the Art Institute strives to present this information as consistently and legibly as possible. Dates may be represented as a range that spans decades, centuries, dynasties, or periods and may include qualifiers such as c. (circa) or BCE.

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