Anne
Whitney was
born in Watertown, Massachusetts, on 2nd September, 1821. She ran
a school in Salem, before moving to New York to study art. Whitney
had her first exhibition at the National Academy of Design in 1860.
A passionate opponent of slavery and
an advocate of women's rights, Whitney's
work often reflected her political beliefs. This included sculptured
busts of Lucy Stone, Harriet
Beecher Stowe, Frances Willard, Harriet
Martineau, Mary Livermore and
William Lloyd Garrison.
Whitney was also asked by the city of Boston to create a monument
to celebrate the achievements of Charles
Sumner. However, when the officials discovered that Whitney was
a woman, they withdrew the commission. Whitney, who had been a political
supporter of Sumner in his campaign against slavery, decided to produce
the statue anyway. It now stands outside Harvard
Law School. Anne Whitney died on 23rd January, 1915.
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