Hiram Powers Exhibition Open at the Smithsonian American Art Museum Our Coverage Sponsored by Martin's Tavern of Georgetown Est. 1933
Hiram Powers, Greek Slave, 1843, plaster, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Museum purchase in memory of Ralph Cross Johnson
Established in 1933, Martin's Tavern is one of Washington DC’s most historic family-owned enterprises. For 80 years, Martin’s Tavern has been a renowned fixture in the mid-Atlantic and a must-visit establishment in historic Georgetown. In the late 1890's, William S. Martin traveled from Galway, Ireland to America. Forty years later, he and his son, William G. Martin, the current Billy's grandfather, opened Martin’s Tavern on the corner of Wisconsin Avenue and N Street NW which is run today by our friend, William A. Martin Jr. You can call him Billy! From sitting Presidents and media icons, to city residents and worldly travelers, Martin’s Tavern is a welcoming home to the many who have long embraced its warm atmosphere. Its quintessentially classic American fare has delighted discriminating palates for decades from the Oakwood Atlantic Smoked Salmon to the Filet Mignon to whatever your little heart desires from the convincing menu. Every President from Truman to George W. Bush has happily dined at Martin's Tavern, and you can see the delicious culinary choices preferred by each in our review: Martin's Tavern is Highly Recommended by Whom You Know:
The President’s favorite booths, The Proposal Booth of Jack and Jackie Kennedy, Mickey Mantle in The Dugout Room, George W. Bush and family at Table 12 are just a few of the iconic stories. Fourth generation owner Billy Martin, Jr. continues the tradition of Washington’s oldest family owned restaurant and Georgetown landmark.
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July 3 - Feb. 19, 2017
Where
Smithsonian American Art Museum, Eighth and F streets N.W.
Riley Gallery, Second Floor South
"Measured Perfection: Hiram Powers' Greek Slave" reveals the inner workings of the studio of an artist and innovator who eagerly adapted long-standing traditions to new technologies of his age. Finished and unfinished artworks and a selection of tools reveal Powers' creative process and ingenious experiments, including the practice of body casting. The installation is composed of 15 sculptures, plaster molds, casts and tools selected from an extensive collection acquired by the Smithsonian American Art Museum directly from Powers' studio in Florence, Italy, in 1968, as well as a several archival images and a daguerreotype of the "Greek Slave." The exhibition is organized by Karen Lemmey, sculpture curator.
The exhibition will allow viewers to see behind the scenes of a 19th-century sculpture studio through key objects like Powers' life-size plaster model of the "Greek Slave," the most highly acclaimed sculpture of its time, so famous that Powers applied for a U.S. patent to protect his design. This plaster prototype of the "Greek Slave" is studded with metal points that were used with a pointing machine--a clever, mechanical device that allowed Powers to make multiple marble replicas of his famed sculpture. X-rays of this unique plaster, recently made at the museum's Lunder Conservation Center, encourage audiences to consider ways in which scholarship relies on current technology to interpret the past. Interactive didactic displays invite viewers to appreciate Powers' innovative contributions to 19th-century sculpture, while videos of 3-D scanning and a pointing machine in use demonstrate how sculpture tools and techniques have changed since his time.
Credit
"Measured Perfection: Hiram Powers' Greek Slave" is organized by the Smithsonian American Art Museum in collaboration with the United States Patent and Trademark Office.
The Smithsonian American Art Museum, located above the Gallery Place/Chinatown Metrorail station, is open daily from 11:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. (closed Dec. 25). Admission is free. Follow the museum on Twitter, YouTube, Tumblr, Instagram, Facebook, Flickr, iTunes U and ArtBabble. Smithsonian information: (202) 633-1000. Museum information (recorded): (202) 633-7970. Website: americanart.si.edu.
