Powers, Hiram

Powers, Hiram
born June 29, 1805, Woodstock, Vt., U.S.
died June 27, 1873, Florence, Italy

U.S.-born Italian sculptor.

He worked as an artist-assistant in a waxworks museum in Cincinnati, Ohio, then moved to Washington, D.C., where he modeled busts of such figures as Andrew Jackson (1834). In 1837 he settled permanently in Florence. He attracted international notoriety with his marble Greek Slave (1843), an image of a nude young woman in chains, which caused a sensation at London's Crystal Palace Exposition in 1851. An artist of outstanding technical ability, he was one of the most popular sculptors of his time.

"Greek Slave," marble statue by Hiram Powers, 1843; in the Corcoran Gallery of Art, ...

By courtesy of the Corcoran Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.

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▪ American sculptor
born June 29, 1805, Woodstock, Vermont, U.S.
died June 27, 1873, Florence, Italy

      American sculptor who worked in the Neoclassical style during the mid-1800s. He is best remembered for his Greek Slave (1843), a white marble statue of a nude girl in chains.

      Powers first studied with Frederick Eckstein about 1828. Around 1829 he worked as a general assistant and artist in a wax museum in Cincinnati, Ohio, where his ingenious representations of scenes from Dante's Inferno met with acclaim. At the end of 1834 Powers went to Washington, D.C., where he modeled a portrait of Andrew Jackson. The attention he received for this work led to other portrait commissions from local residents, bringing Powers newfound financial security. He traveled to Italy in 1835 and in 1837, after residing in Paris for a few months, settled permanently in Florence, where he befriended the American sculptor Horatio Greenough (Greenough, Horatio).

      In 1843 Powers created the Greek Slave, which caused an international sensation when exhibited at the Crystal Palace (for the Great Exhibition of 1851) in London and later at the New York Crystal Palace in 1853. The popularity of this statue, of which six replicas were made, established his reputation as one of the most popular sculptors of his time. An entrepreneur, Powers turned the success of the Greek Slave and other female, full-length subjects into a lucrative venture by carving more attainable bust-sized versions of them. An artist of amazing technical ability, he commanded high prices for his work. He produced many portrait busts of prominent American visitors to his large and popular studio in Florence.

Additional Reading
Richard P. Wunder, Hiram Powers: Vermont Sculptor, 1805–1873, 2 vol. (1989–91).

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Universalium. 2010.

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  • Powers, Hiram — (29 jun. 1805, Woodstock, Vt., EE.UU.–27 jun. 1873, Florencia, Italia). Escultor italiano de origen estadounidense. Trabajó como artista ayudante en un museo de cera en Cincinnati, Ohio, y luego se trasladó a Washington, D.C., donde modeló bustos …   Enciclopedia Universal

  • Powers,Hiram — Pow·ers (pouʹərz), Hiram. 1805 1873. American sculptor whose important works, all in the neoclassical style, include Greek Slave (1843) and busts of American leaders. * * * …   Universalium

  • Powers, Hiram — (7/29/1805 Woodstock, VT 1873 Florence) (USA / France)    Neo classical sculptor, best known for portrait busts and nobel figures. Left the U.S. permanently for Europe in 1837. His work Greek slave was highly controversial in its time due to its… …   Dictionary of erotic artists: painters, sculptors, printmakers, graphic designers and illustrators

  • POWERS, HIRAM —    American sculptor, born in Vermont; began his career by modelling busts at Washington, in 1837 emigrated to Italy, and resided the rest of his life at Florence, where he produced his Eve, his Greek Slave, and other works (1807 1873) …   The Nuttall Encyclopaedia

  • Hiram Powers — La esclava griega Hiram Powers 1843. Hiram Powers (29 de junio de 1805 27 de junio de 1873) fue un escultor neoclásico norteamericano. Biografía Powers era hijo de un granjero, y había nacido en Woodstock,Vermont, en …   Wikipedia Español

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  • Hiram — /huy reuhm/, n. 1. a king of Tyre in the 10th century B.C. I Kings 5. 2. a male given name: from a Hebrew word meaning noble. * * * (as used in expressions) Hiram Ulysses Grant Maxim Sir Hiram Stevens Powers Hiram Revels Hiram Rhoades Hiram King… …   Universalium

  • Hiram — (as used in expressions) Hiram Ulysses Grant Maxim, Sir Hiram (Stevens) Powers, Hiram Revels, Hiram R(hoades) Hiram King Williams …   Enciclopedia Universal

  • Hiram Powers — (June 29, 1805 June 27, 1873) was a U.S. neoclassical sculptor. BiographyThe son of a farmer, Powers was born in Woodstock, Vermont, on the July 29, 1805. In 1818 his father removed to Ohio, about six miles from Cincinnati, where the son attended …   Wikipedia

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