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Unlike the full-length versions, the busts of the Greek Slave are stripped of symbols: the chain that bound her hands, conveniently covering her pubic area, and the cross on the drape below her right hand. However, the whiteness of the marble—so typical of Neo-classical sculpture—retains the reference to her purity. The bust at Reynolda House terminates under the breasts in a beaded fabric that follows the contours of her body. It is decorated with classical acroteria leaves. The pose of the head is based on the famous Hellenistic statue, the Venus de’ Medici in the Uffizi Gallery, Florence; she looks demurely to her left and downwards as in the full-length versions, allowing her classical features to be seen in profile. Another classical motif is the rendering of her eyes without pupils. Her hair, parted in the middle, is pulled back into a simple bun, and texturally makes a fine contrast to the smoothness of her skin. Her body is symmetrical, and her upper torso is about twice the size of her head.
The bust at Reynolda House was purchased in 1856 by William H. King, a wealthy New York businessman who spent his summers in Newport, Rhode Island. He was the uncle of painter Charles Bird King, whom Powers knew during his two-year sojourn in Washington. William H. King sat for a bust-length portrait about 1855, which depicts him draped in a classical style himation. The Bust of the Greek Slave descended in King’s family until it was given to a senior center located in a fine Italianate mansion in Newport, Rhode Island, once the home of Edward King. The bust was sold in 1999 by the center. Inscribed on the back is: H. Powers Sculp.
Notes:
[1] Powers to James Gibson, December 25, 1860, Powers Papers, Smithsonian Institution, quoted in Richard P. Wunder, Hiram Powers: Vermont sculptor, 1805–1873 (Newark, DE: University of Delaware Press, 1991), 38.
ProvenanceBy 1856
William H. King, New York. [1]
Edward King, Newport, RI, by bequest of his father, William H. King.
After 1875
George Gordon King, Newport, RI, by bequest of his father, Edward King.
After 1912
Ethel King (Mrs. Charles H. Russell), Newport, RI, bequest of her uncle, George King.
From 1967
Newport Senior Center, Newport, RI, gift of Ethel King.
From 1999
Barbara B. Millhouse, New York. [2]
Notes:
[1] Hirschl & Adler documentation provided to owner at time of purchase.
[2] Loan Agreement
Exhibition History
DepartmentCollection of Barbara B. Millhouse
Bust of the Greek Slave
Artist
Hiram Powers
(1805 - 1873)
Date1855-1856
MediumMarble
DimensionsOverall: 29 9/16 × 21 1/2 × 11 in. (75.1 × 54.6 × 27.9 cm)
SignedH. POWERS Sculp.
Credit LineCourtesy of Barbara B. Millhouse
CopyrightPublic Domain
Object numberIL2012.3.1
DescriptionThe expatriate sculptor Hiram Powers achieved both fame and fortune with his full-length nude statue the Greek Slave, 1841–1843. The depiction of an idealized young woman—a relatively contemporary one from the time of the Greek War of Independence—was widely acclaimed for its artistry. Powers capitalized on the success of the Greek Slave, which was viewed in America by more than one hundred thousand visitors. With the assistance of his Italian stonecutters, he produced six full-length versions, at least two two-thirds life-sized statues, and over one hundred busts of varying sizes. He made his first bust-length replica in 1846. Clearly, Powers was mercenary, as indicated by an 1860 letter: “I look back with grief and self-reproach upon the days spent…in thoughtlessness…I ought to have made money instead of wax figures, ghosts and hobgoblins.” [1] Unlike the full-length versions, the busts of the Greek Slave are stripped of symbols: the chain that bound her hands, conveniently covering her pubic area, and the cross on the drape below her right hand. However, the whiteness of the marble—so typical of Neo-classical sculpture—retains the reference to her purity. The bust at Reynolda House terminates under the breasts in a beaded fabric that follows the contours of her body. It is decorated with classical acroteria leaves. The pose of the head is based on the famous Hellenistic statue, the Venus de’ Medici in the Uffizi Gallery, Florence; she looks demurely to her left and downwards as in the full-length versions, allowing her classical features to be seen in profile. Another classical motif is the rendering of her eyes without pupils. Her hair, parted in the middle, is pulled back into a simple bun, and texturally makes a fine contrast to the smoothness of her skin. Her body is symmetrical, and her upper torso is about twice the size of her head.
The bust at Reynolda House was purchased in 1856 by William H. King, a wealthy New York businessman who spent his summers in Newport, Rhode Island. He was the uncle of painter Charles Bird King, whom Powers knew during his two-year sojourn in Washington. William H. King sat for a bust-length portrait about 1855, which depicts him draped in a classical style himation. The Bust of the Greek Slave descended in King’s family until it was given to a senior center located in a fine Italianate mansion in Newport, Rhode Island, once the home of Edward King. The bust was sold in 1999 by the center. Inscribed on the back is: H. Powers Sculp.
Notes:
[1] Powers to James Gibson, December 25, 1860, Powers Papers, Smithsonian Institution, quoted in Richard P. Wunder, Hiram Powers: Vermont sculptor, 1805–1873 (Newark, DE: University of Delaware Press, 1991), 38.
ProvenanceBy 1856
William H. King, New York. [1]
Edward King, Newport, RI, by bequest of his father, William H. King.
After 1875
George Gordon King, Newport, RI, by bequest of his father, Edward King.
After 1912
Ethel King (Mrs. Charles H. Russell), Newport, RI, bequest of her uncle, George King.
From 1967
Newport Senior Center, Newport, RI, gift of Ethel King.
From 1999
Barbara B. Millhouse, New York. [2]
Notes:
[1] Hirschl & Adler documentation provided to owner at time of purchase.
[2] Loan Agreement
Exhibition History
Status
On view