Vinnie Ream: An American Sculptor

She was able, through clever maneuvering and dogged determination, to achieve a commission from the Congress for a life-sized statue of the assassinated president-this despite the very real animus against women artists at that time, which is apparent in the heated arguments against granting her the Lincoln commission-arguments spearheaded in the Senate by Charles Sumner of Massachusetts.Steeped in the history of her time, Vinnie Ream was involved with dozens of senators and congressmen and other powerful men-not least of all Generals Sherman and Custer-and her studio on Capitol Hill became a legendary stopping place for many admirers and tourists. Her statue of Lincoln stands in the rotunda of the capitol building; her statue of Admiral Farragut stands in a Washington, D.C. park; other works are in Statuary Hall and various museums. This is an engaging biography of a spirited female artist, and an effective portrait of Washington, D.C. in the Civil War era.