Gifted to the Corcoran Gallery of Art, Washington, DC, 1873
The Greek Slave in the Octagon Room of the Corcoran Gallery, ca. 1877. Photograph. Renwick Gallery, Washington, DC.The Greek Slave in the Octagon Room of the Corcoran Gallery, ca. 1877. Photograph. Renwick Gallery, Washington, DC.
“Washington Letter,” Saturday Evening Post, February 24, 1866, 6.“Washington Letter,” Saturday Evening Post, February 24, 1866, 6.
“The Corcoran Library,” Chicago Tribune, September 13, 1872, 1.“The Corcoran Library,” Chicago Tribune, September 13, 1872, 1.
“Art in Washington,” New York Times, January 20, 1874, 2.“Art in Washington,” New York Times, January 20, 1874, 2.
Gifted to the Corcoran Gallery of Art, Washington, DC, 1873
In 1858, William Corcoran commissioned architect the James Renwick to design a purpose-built gallery to house his collection. By the outbreak of the Civil War, the gallery was only partially completed, and Corcoran, a Southern sympathizer, departed for Europe. In his absence, his home was occupied by the French consul Charles-François-Frédéric, the marquis de Montholon, until around 1866. (See Martina Droth’s essay.) After the war, Corcoran returned and completed the gallery. In 1869 he gifted the building and his collection to the nation. The Greek Slave was deeded to the Corcoran Gallery of Art and formally accessioned in 1873. The Corcoran Gallery opened to the public in 1874.
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