John Wilmerding Symposium on American Art 2018, Part 5: W. W. Corcoran, Lord Ward, and “Greek Slave”

Karen Lemmey, curator of sculpture, Smithsonian American Art Museum. Speaking at the second annual John Wilmerding Symposium on American Art, held on March 23, 2018, at the National Gallery of Art, Karen Lemmey draws together the two replicas of The Greek Slave commissioned by William Humble Ward: one completed in 1846 and preserved in the Corcoran Collection at the National Gallery of Art, the other completed in 1848 and lost since the early 20th century. Sculptor Hiram Powers cleverly satisfied Lord Ward’s insistent demands for a unique version of the famed composition, revealing his ability to simultaneously entice and manage his patron’s desires. The John Wilmerding Symposium on American Art is made possible by a grant from the Walton Family Foundation.