Today on the Google home page is a Doodle, special Google logo, with Edmonia Lewis on it. There is really nothing specific to February 1st and Edmonia Lewis, she was not born on that date and she did not pass on that date. She did create a sculpture in 1867 named the Forever Free marble sculpture which commemorated the ratification of the 13th Amendment. The 13th Amendment was approved by President Abraham Lincoln to send to the state legislatures on February 1, 1865. Now, February 1st is National Freedom Day and kicks off Black History Month. Hence the Doodle without a birthday.
Google wrote:
Today’s Doodle art depicts Lewis sculpting one of her most famous works, The Death of Cleopatra, which is on display at the Smithsonian American Art Museum in Washington, D.C. Her realistic portrayal of Cleopatra’s death received acclaim from critics, who called it “the most remarkable piece of sculpture in the American section" of the show. The vibrant colors of the Google letters also pay tribute to Lewis’s Native American roots - her Native American name was Wildfire.Decades later, Lewis’s legacy continues to thrive through her art and the path she helped forge for women and artists of color. Today, we celebrate her and what she stands for – self-expression through art, even in the face of adversary.
She was born on July 4, 1844 in Greenbush, New York and died on September 17, 1907 at the age of 63 on in London, England.
Here is a photo of The Death of Cleopatra illustrated in the Google Doodle above:
Forum discussion at Google+.
