Harriet Goodhue Hosmer

Sculptor Harriet Hosmer has emerged as a feminist icon and symbol of the emancipated woman. As a young girl, however, she endured many trials. By the time she was twelve years old, her two brothers, one sister, and mother had died of tuberculosis. Determined to keep his surviving daughter healthy, Hosmer’s father encouraged her to spend time outdoors, riding and canoeing.

At age twenty-two, Hosmer moved to Rome, where she lived among an Anglo-American community of artists, writers, and “independent women.” There she apprenticed with the leading Neoclassical sculptor of the time, John Gibson. Soon, her marble sculptures, many featuring idealized female subjects, were critically acclaimed in both England and the United States. British artist Sir William Boxall portrayed Hosmer outdoors in attire for horseback riding, a pastime that she continued to enjoy through her adult years. Exhibited at the Royal Academy of Arts, the portrait captures Hosmer’s fearless determination.