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A native Philadelphian who had trained at the Pennsylvania Academy, Roberts joined the vanguard of American sculptors when he sailed for France in 1866, choosing Paris over Rome as the place for advanced study. At this time, the Neoclassical style, with its idealized figures and coolly balanced forms, was giving way to a taste for vigorous naturalism - the characteristic manner of the Ecole des Beaux Arts in Paris, and of Roberts's earliest production. This work, Roberts's earliest life-size sculpture, was inspired by Charles Kingsley's 1853 novel, "Hypathia." Set in the city of Alexandria in A.D. 415, the book tells the story of Hypathia, a Neoplatonic philosopher, who upholds the Roman Empire's ancient pagan beliefs and so dies at the hands of a band of monks. For dramatic effect, Roberts depicted the moment when Hypathia, driven into a church, turns to face her enemies. Like a stage director, Roberts provided props for the scene: a crucifix, censer, and candlestick. Scenes depicting such 'threatening' literary heroines enjoyed great popularity in mid-nineteenth century America.
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