Zephyr Descends marble bas-relief by Harriet Hosmer. Hosmer was encouraged by the actress Fanny Kemble to pursue her natural talent in the art of sculpture. She established a studio at home and made what progress she could on her own, while furthering her knowledge of anatomy by taking private lessons at the medical school of St. Louis (Missouri) University. In 1852 she traveled to Rome to study under the British sculptor John Gibson while living with an older friend, the actress Charlotte Cushman. As Hosmer developed as an artist, she became a favorite in the circles of English and American expatriates in Rome, counting Robert and Elizabeth Barrett Browning among her friends. Until the end of the century Hosmer lived mainly in England, making frequent visits to Rome. She maintained a large studio and enjoyed a considerable income from her work. Her position as the foremost American female sculptor of the century was unchallenged during her lifetime, although critical estimation of her Neoclassical style never afterward placed her in the first rank of artists.
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