Phillis Wheatley
- Created by
- Catlett, Elizabeth, Mexican and American, 1915 - 2012
- Subject of
- Wheatley Peters, Phillis, American, ca. 1753 - 1784
- Commissioned by
- Jackson State University, American, founded 1877
- Date
- 1973
- Medium
- bronze and wood
- Dimensions
- H x W (Overall): 22 x 12 3/4 x 14 in. (55.9 x 32.4 x 35.6 cm)
- H x W (Wood base): 2 x 12 1/4 x 10 1/2 in. (5.1 x 31.1 x 26.7 cm)
- Description
- Waist-length bust of Phillis Wheatley, a mid -18th century poet. This bronze bust depicts Wheatley posed gazing straight ahead, with her left arm drawn close to her body, hand propped up under her chin, knuckles of her left hand just touching her chin. Her left hand forefinger is extended along her left cheek; the other fingers are curled in to a fist. Her right arm is wrapped around her front and the right hand cups her left elbow. The figure is wearing a shirt with a rounded neckline and sleeves to the elbow. The cloth is indicated on the sculpture by a rough, striated texture. The figure is also wearing a rounded cap or turban on her head. A small amount of hair is visible as stippling at the figure's temples, and her earlobes peek out from under the cap. The edge of the cap is indicated by short deep radiating lines repeated around the hem. The cap edge conforms to the head and bulges into several pleats of fabric in the back. The sculpture rests on a rectangular block of dark colored wood.
- Classification
- Visual Arts
- Type
- bronzes
- portraits
- Topic
- Literature
- Slavery
- Women
- Credit Line
- Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture
- Object number
- 2008.14
- Restrictions & Rights
- © 2020 Catlett Mora Family Trust/Licensed by VAGA at Artists Rights Society (ARS), NY
- Permission required for use. Proper usage is the responsibility of the user.