This plaster cast is as close as we can get to Powers’ “original” Greek Slave. It was made in the artist’s studio directly from Powers’ clay model and records the date “March 12, 1843,” when the sculptor proclaimed he finished modeling his masterpiece in clay. Powers carefully sculpted the body but did minimal work on the locket, cross, and drapery, since it was more efficient to refer to real examples of these objects when carving these elements in marble. Similarly, Powers did not lose time modeling the chains that were so important to the sculpture’s narrative. Instead, he attached real metal chains, which scraped into the plaster figure’s right thigh.

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