Maker/Artist
Prophet, Nancy Elizabeth
African-American sculptor and teacher, 1890-1960, active in France
Born at the turn of the twentieth century, Nancy Elizabeth Prophet was a sculptor who graduated from the Rhode Island School of Design in 1918. Though both were married, Prophet struck up a romantic relationship with W.E.B. Du Bois after she graduated from college. Prophet then traveled to further study in Paris in 1922 where she trained at L'Ecole Nationale des Beaux Arts. During most of her career in Paris, Prophet struggled with poverty and hunger. She returned to the United States in 1934 to teach in Spelman College's art department, though she resented having to leave her Parisian studio. Prophet did not produce much art in her final two decades, and she passed away from a heart attack in 1960.
