Life in Rome
In 1856, Stebbins' brother, Henry G. Stebbins, encouraged her to travel to Rome to pursue her interest in sculpting. That May, Stebbins, her younger sister Caroline, and their mother traveled to Rome, where Emma and Caroline settled. While Caroline married John Rollin Tilton, an American painter, in 1858, Emma was welcomed into a society of expatriates by Harriet Hosmer, also an American sculptor.
Hosmer introduced Stebbins to some of her future teachers including John Gibson and Paul Akers.
One of the leading ladies of the expatriates in Rome was Charlotte Cushman, an American actress. Upon meeting Stebbins, Cushman took a special interest in her work and earned a place in her affections. The pair quickly became a couple and within a year of meeting, the women exchanged unofficial vows and considered themselves married.
As she had done for others before, Cushman used her influence to help secure commissions for Stebbins. Stebbins and Cushman's romance strained their relationship with Hosmer, who had once been the object of Cushman's affections and influence.
In September 1857, Stebbins and Cushman returned to the States to recoup Cushman's savings, after her business manager embezzled funds. During Cushman's acting tour, Stebbins stayed with her family in New York. On July 6, Cushman gave her final performance and the couple sailed to England. Before returning to Rome in November 1858, the couple took a tour of the continent.
