Hiram Powers' Greek Slave
August 17, 2011 7:33 PM Subscribe
Although the sculptor Hiram Powers (1805-73) enjoyed considerable success with his portraits and more allegorical works, he is now almost entirely remembered for one of nineteenth-century America's most hotly-debated sculptures: The Greek Slave. Powers was a little vague about the inspiration for the statue--longstanding dream, or response to the Greek War of Independence (see previously)? Understood at the time as a major leap forward in establishing America as a serious force in the art world, the statue was an international hit (appearing at the Great Exhibition of 1851), and was endlessly copied and daguerrotyped. (Some of the copies turn the statue into a much more ambiguous bust, or hark back to one of its major influences, the Venus de Milo.) However, some observers, including Elizabeth Barrett Browning and, much more pointedly, the illustrator and caricaturist John Tenniel, suggested that an American sculptor might wish to think about other slaves.
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posted by mediareport at 7:43 PM on August 17, 2011
posted by mediareport at 7:43 PM on August 17, 2011
Is this one of those Victorian sex things that required a thin veneer of lofty philosophy?
"Ah, yes, this work is exciting to the...imagination. Provoking...discourse."
posted by Nixy at 9:35 PM on August 17, 2011
"Ah, yes, this work is exciting to the...imagination. Provoking...discourse."
posted by Nixy at 9:35 PM on August 17, 2011
Though today the Victorian era is considered extremely prudish, the artists of that period created a tradition of the nude in British art, drawing upon Greek and Roman classicism to affirm Britain's superiority at a time of skyrocketing pornography and prostitution.
posted by telstar at 9:46 PM on August 17, 2011
posted by telstar at 9:46 PM on August 17, 2011
Here's a link to a TED style talk one of my professors did recently where he touches on Greek Slave (at 10:09) in a lecture about American art.
posted by DeltaZ113 at 9:58 PM on August 17, 2011
posted by DeltaZ113 at 9:58 PM on August 17, 2011
This is a wonderful FPP. I learned an enormous amount! Thanks so much, thomas j wise, for bringing it to our attention.
posted by barnacles at 12:21 AM on August 18, 2011
posted by barnacles at 12:21 AM on August 18, 2011
Nice post. I live in Richmond, VA, where the state art museum has two Powers sculptures regularly on view. One is a life-size Cleopatra, the other a Fisher Boy. I was there a couple weeks back, sketching the latter, and it was an absolute delight to have an excuse to sit and gaze at the sculpture for an extended period. I haven't tried sketching Cleo yet because, well, I love it, and I don't think I'm quite skilled enough yet.
posted by cupcakeninja at 6:04 PM on August 18, 2011
posted by cupcakeninja at 6:04 PM on August 18, 2011
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posted by mediareport at 7:43 PM on August 17, 2011