William Edmonson, the son of freed people, began making sculpture in his late fifties after a religious vision inspired him to carve tombstones. He was self-taught artist and used homemade tools (flat chisels and files made of railroad spikes) to shape discarded pieces of limestone salvaged from demolished buildings or other local worksites. He expanded his repertoir to include figures, and soon his front yard was populated by carved birds, rabbits, lions, angels, preachers, and a variety of female characters. This stone meagerie caught the attention of his neighbor, the poet Sidney Hirsch, whose connections in the New York art world extolled the combination of modern and primitive qualities in Edmondson's work. In 1937, Edmondson was the first African American artist to be given a solo exhibition at the Museum of Modern Art.

Edmonson made several renditions of this female figure, which have been titled variously "Schoolteacher," "Little Lady with Two Purses," and "Nurse." The MFA's example is notably more streamlined and has less articulation than other versions. Her arms are flattened to her side, virtually incised into her body, emphasizing the narrow shape of the original limestone block from which she emerged. She holds a rectangular form that may represent a clipboard. There is little detail to her clothing, simply the smooth, geometric shapes of her bosom and full skirt; two incised circles suggest feet or shoes. Her delicated facial features--wide, innocent-looking eyes, a petite nose, and tiny mouth--contrast sharply with her oversized head, which is topped with a mountain of textured hair, pulled back into a large ponytail, bun, or possibly a hairnet. Although Edmondson's figures often lack any specific ethnic character, here the attention to the texture, shape, and dramatic size of her coiffure may reflect the importance of elaborate and distinctive hairstyles in both African and African American cultures.

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