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Artist:
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Hiram Powers
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Title:
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Bust of the Greek Slave
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Date:
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after 1845-1846
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Medium:
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Marble
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Dimensions:
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24 1/2 in. (62.23 cm)
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Credit Line:
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The Christina N. and Swan J. Turnblad Memorial Fund
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Location:
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Gallery 323
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The most famous American sculpture of its day, Hiram Powers' Greek Slave won critical acclaim in London when it was shown at the Crystal Palace Exhibition in 1851. Its popularity was so great that Powers created several full-length marble versions and nearly seventy busts of the same subject. In fact, replicas of the work became celebrated attractions wherever they were sent on tour in America during the latter half of the 19th century. The Institute's sculpture depicts a young white girl who has been taken prisoner by the Turks and is about to be sold in the slave market at Constantinople. As the Slave was believed to symbolize Christian virtue, her nude figure did not offend Victorian morality of the time.
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Artist/Creator(s)
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Name:
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Powers, Hiram
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Role:
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Sculptor
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Nationality:
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American (Woodstock, Vermont)
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Life Dates:
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American, 1805-1873
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Object Description
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Inscriptions:
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Classification:
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Sculpture
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Physical Description:
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Full bust, undraped, head turned left in profile slightly downward. The figure terminates just below the breasts by means of a shallow, saucer-like border with reeded edge and is attached to a circular socle.
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Creation Place:
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North America, United States, , ,
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Accession #:
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72.67
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Owner:
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The Minneapolis Institute of Arts
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