The Greek Slave

Copied Hiram Powers, The Greek Slave, modeled 1841-1843, carved ca. 1873, marble, 44 x 14 x 13 1⁄2 in. (111.8 x 35.6 x 34.3 cm.), Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Mrs. Benjamin H. Warder, 1920.3.3
Free to use

Artwork Details

Title
The Greek Slave
Artist
Date
modeled 1841-1843, carved ca. 1873
Location
Not on view
Dimensions
44 x 14 x 13 1⁄2 in. (111.8 x 35.6 x 34.3 cm.)
Credit Line
Gift of Mrs. Benjamin H. Warder
Mediums
Mediums Description
marble
Classifications
Subjects
  • Figure female — nude
  • Figure female — full length
  • History — ancient — Greece
  • Greek
  • State of being — other — enslaved
Object Number
1920.3.3

Artwork Description

The most famous sculpture of the nineteenth century, The Greek Slave propelled Hiram Powers to international stardom. 
 
It depicts a fully nude Greek woman sold into slavery by Ottoman troops during the Greek War of Independence in the 1820s. She stands in chains beside a locket and cross that signify her Christian piety. 
 
Popular among both enslavers and abolitionists, the latter used this image of a captive White woman to elicit sympathy for enslaved African Americans.

Label text from The Shape of Power: Stories of Race and American Sculpture November 8, 2024 -- September 14, 2025