NEW YORK – Like several other famed self-taught artists, William Edmondson (1874-1951) came to art late in life after having a spiritual calling. The Nashville-born man, a son of freed slaves, first worked as a manual laborer on farms, the railroad, and in a hospital. He began his career as a sculptor in 1932 after he had a vision of Jesus planting a seed inside him, urging him to sculpt.
He immediately began carving chunks of Tennessee limestone salvaged from street curbs and demolished houses, using sledgehammers and rough chisels that he fashioned from railroad spikes. He first made headstones for Black cemeteries and thereafter turned his focus to art. His endearingly primitive style and rotund sculptures – almost like Botero paintings come to life – are highly prized works of American folk art.
The Preacher, a 23½in-tall limestone sculpture, commanded one of the top prices recorded for an Edmondson. Depicting a minister with a Bible in his hand and wearing a long-tailed coat and bow tie, The Preacher attained $450,000 plus the buyer’s premium in January 2020 at Case Antiques, Inc. Auctions & Appraisals, far surpassing its $70,000-$75,000 estimate. The current auction record for the artist was set in 2016 at Christie’s by Boxer, which made $785,000.
The Preacher has a strong exhibition history and appears in a 1941 Edward Weston photograph of Edmondson’s yard. “The inspiration for this work was most likely someone that he knew personally, possibly his pastor,” said Stephanie L. Case, co-owner, principal auctioneer, and vice president of operations at Case Antiques, Inc. Auctions & Appraisals in Knoxville, Tennessee. “This sculpture is notable due to the strong emphasis on the Bible being held in the figure’s left hand, the sizable base on which he stands, and the detailed work on the figure’s suit and hair.”
Religion figured prominently in many of Edmondson’s sculptures, but none more so than in those that depict the crucifixion. One such piece picturing Jesus on a cross sold for $140,000 plus the buyer’s premium in October 2018 at Rago Arts and Auction Center. Each of Edmondson’s crucifixion sculptures varied slightly, but in most, Jesus is portrayed as strong and resolute.
According to the Smithsonian Museum of American Art, which has a fine example of an Edmondson crucifixion sculpture in its collection, “The figure remains upright and aware, in keeping with his symbolic role in African-American art as one who brings deliverance and freedom.”
Edmondson’s scrupulous attention to detail can also be seen in Miss Lucy, a 15½in-tall sculpture of a standing woman clad in a high-collared dress and wearing a carved locket. As with most of his female figures, her hair is well defined. In this instance, she has long hair that is carefully braided, and she carries a purse in one hand and a book, likely a Bible, in the other. This sculpture achieved $270,000 plus the buyer’s premium in January 2019 at Case.
“Like many artists, Edmondson sculpted people, animals, and objects he encountered daily,” Case said. “He often included repetitive details, such as a book or purse, and trailing skirts along with elaborate hairstyles for his female sculptures. They also have a modern minimalist look which resonates with current collectors.”
The auction market is strong for William Edmondson, which is no surprise considering his talent and the fact that his sculptures are seldom consigned for sale. Many museums have mounted exhibitions of his works, including Cheekwood in Nashville, Tennessee; the Barnes Foundation in Philadelphia; the Newcomb Art Museum of Tulane University in New Orleans; and the McClung Museum and Natural History and Art in Knoxville, Tennessee.
Understandably, given that Edmondson hailed from Tennessee, Case’s sales of his work tend to dominate auction results. While it might be assumed that the Edmondson market is primarily based in the South, Stephanie Case noted that her house has had collectors and dealers register from across the United States and Europe to bid.
Besides religion-inspired sculptures, Edmondson’s figural portrayals are some of his most sought-after pieces. Despite his lack of formal art training, he was adept at skillfully carving details and referencing the strength of family bonds in works such as Mother and Child, which earned $100,000 plus the buyer’s premium in January 2024 at Case. The sculpture shows a woman carrying a young child in one arm and a book of some sort in the other hand.
“The tenderness conveyed between the child and the mother and the addition of an object in the subject’s other hand is a detail that is often repeated for his female sculptures,” Case said. “This sculpture additionally had a strong provenance. It descended through a noted African American family with a long history in Davidson and Williamson counties.”
Edmondson also enjoyed creating animals that look to be caught in a moment of play or are shown upright and alert. A 1930s sculpture, Owl, which took $30,000 plus the buyer’s premium in May 2020 at Black Art Auction, shows fine detailing in the wing feathers.
William Edmondson’s compulsion to carve made him one of the most renowned Black artists of the 20th century as well as the first Black artist to have a solo show at the Museum of Modern Art. His minimalist works with a modern bent continue to win rapt fans.