William Edmondson

William Edmondson, who was the son of Tennessee slaves, maintained that "Jesus planted the seed of carving in me" and he described his works as "miracles" that demonstrated his divine call to create. He began making gravestones, free-standing representational sculptures, and garden ornaments after retiring from his job as a laborer in Nashville around 1932. His repertoire of subjects included animals as well as biblical and secular figures, all carved from discarded blocks of limestone with chisels fashioned from railroad spikes. In several sculptures of the Crucifixion (c. 1932-1937), Edmondson celebrated Christ as the Savior who provides love and deliverance.