In 1860, she established a studio in Watertown.
 Two years later, she rented a studio in Boston near William Rimmer, an artist and physician, with whom she studied.
He critiqued her works as she began making full-length sculptures.
She made a life-size sculpture of Lady Godiva and, during the Civil War, a large sculpture entitled Africa.
Both had were expressions of her political viewpoints.
Africa represented an entire race breaking free of slavery and Lady Godiva represented a heroine relieving the poor of exorbitant taxes.
They were shown in 1864 and 1865 in Boston and New York.
Lady Godiva, which was positively received at its exhibits, resides at the Dallas Museum of Art, Texas.
In 1867, she exhibited work in the Boston gallery of De Vries, Ibarra & Co.
Whitney moved to Rome in 1867.
While there, she worked in the city and took long vacations in Europe, including two trips to Munich for further study, including learning foundry techniques for working in bronze.
In Rome, she was able to make works using nude male models, where it was not considered improper for a woman.
Her works from this period include Chaldean Shepherd at Smith College Museum of Art and  Lotus Eater at Newark Museum.
She associated with a group of female artists in Rome that Henry James described as the "that strange sisterhood of American 'lady sculptors' who at one time settled upon the seven hills in a white, marmorean flock".
She was acquainted with American artists that were in Florence and Rome, like Edmonia Lewis, Harriet Hosmer, Florence Freeman, and others within the circle of stage actress Charlotte Cushman, a patron of the arts.

While Whitney was in Italy there was political, social, and economic instability due to the attempts to unify the country, during which the new secular government was at odds with the papacy.
She created the bronze sculpture Roma in 1869 to represent the "spiritual destitution" that the citizens experienced due to the political climate, symbolized by the ancient beggar woman.
It was shown in Philadelphia, Boston, and London.
She visited the United States in 1870 when the city was overtaken by Giuseppe Garibaldi's forces, then returned to Rome for one year before moving back to the United States in 1871 and then exhibited her sculpture of Haitian leader Toussaint Louverture in Boston.
She established a studio in Boston in 1872.
In 1860, she established a studio in Watertown.  Two years later, she rented a studio in Boston near William Rimmer, an artist and physician, with whom she studied. He critiqued her works as she began making full-length sculptures. She made a life-size sculpture of Lady Godiva and, during the Civil War, a large sculpture entitled Africa. Both had were expressions of her political viewpoints. Africa represented an entire race breaking free of slavery and Lady Godiva represented a heroine relieving the poor of exorbitant taxes. They were shown in 1864 and 1865 in Boston and New York. Lady Godiva, which was positively received at its exhibits, resides at the Dallas Museum of Art, Texas. In 1867, she exhibited work in the Boston gallery of De Vries, Ibarra & Co.
Whitney moved to Rome in 1867. While there, she worked in the city and took long vacations in Europe, including two trips to Munich for further study, including learning foundry techniques for working in bronze. In Rome, she was able to make works using nude male models, where it was not considered improper for a woman. Her works from this period include Chaldean Shepherd at Smith College Museum of Art and  Lotus Eater at Newark Museum. She associated with a group of female artists in Rome that Henry James described as the "that strange sisterhood of American 'lady sculptors' who at one time settled upon the seven hills in a white, marmorean flock". She was acquainted with American artists that were in Florence and Rome, like Edmonia Lewis, Harriet Hosmer, Florence Freeman, and others within the circle of stage actress Charlotte Cushman, a patron of the arts.
While Whitney was in Italy there was political, social, and economic instability due to the attempts to unify the country, during which the new secular government was at odds with the papacy. She created the bronze sculpture Roma in 1869 to represent the "spiritual destitution" that the citizens experienced due to the political climate, symbolized by the ancient beggar woman. It was shown in Philadelphia, Boston, and London. She visited the United States in 1870 when the city was overtaken by Giuseppe Garibaldi's forces, then returned to Rome for one year before moving back to the United States in 1871 and then exhibited her sculpture of Haitian leader Toussaint Louverture in Boston. She established a studio in Boston in 1872.
Anne Whitney