Emma Stebbins is most noted for her iconic bronze statue The Angel of the Waters which was placed on Central Park’s Bethesda Terrace in 1873.
You may be aware of parts of the Stebbins’ biography. Her Angel was the first public statue in New York produced by a woman and her life included a domestic partnership with another woman. But there is much more in the story.
This is the story of a creative artistic woman whose life, which began in early 19th-century New York, expanded and flourished in a community of fellow artists and sculptors in mid-century Rome.
In this episode of The Gilded Gentleman podcast, journalist and biographer Maria Teresa Cometto — author of Emma and the Angel of Central Park — joins host Carl Raymond for a look into the life of this enigmatic woman.
This is a very Italian story in many ways, set against the backdrop of the ruins, museums, and palaces of classical Rome. Emma’s story includes love, betrayal, inspiration, tragedy, and even a bit of mystery.
LISTEN HERE: The Sculptor and the Angel: The Untold Story of Emma Stebbins
And subscribe to the Gilded Gentleman podcast so you don’t miss an episode.
And after you’ve listened to this episode of The Gilded Gentleman, revisit last year’s Bowery Boys podcast episode on the early years of Central Park. The show also features the history of Bethesda Fountain featuring historian Sara Cedar Miller.