Greek Slave In Bondage
by Cora Wandel
Title
Greek Slave In Bondage
Artist
Cora Wandel
Medium
Photograph
Description
This is a close-up photograph of Hiram Powers' sculpture "Greek Slave" showing the slave's hands in shackles. Powers was born in Woodstock, Vermont, in 1805, and is considered the first successful sculptor in America.. His work was (and still is) highly regarded, and his sculpture "Greek Slave," which he made around 1848, was one of the most popular full-length sculptures of his era. It was also controversial because Americans were not used to nudity in their art work, particularly sculptures, but "Greek Slave" helped break down that barrier and is considered the first successful nude sculpture in America. In fact, more than a hundred thousand people saw the sculpture when it toured America. People accepted the nudity because there was a story to it. The nude Greek woman is representative of those people, particularly women, who were captured and chained by Turks during Greece's fight for independence in the 1820s. By emphasizing that the Greek slave was stripped by her captors and not naked by choice, Powers gave the American public permission to view the statue without fear of embarrassment. The sculpture was also considered symbolic of slavery in our country, with people comparing it to the bondage that slaves were enduring in America before the Civil War. "Greek Slave" became so popular that Powers made six identical full-length replicas of the marble sculpture, and over a hundred busts of the woman. The sculpture was photographed at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, DC.
Uploaded
November 3rd, 2016
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