Virginia is for Vultures

   Recently, during a lovely trip to the National Gallery of Art in Washington DC, I drew studies of two marble statues that really left me thinking. Both statues were of women and both seemed to have something to say about femininity. The first was eye catching to begin with. A statue of a Greek slave girl, carved in 1846 by an American artist, Powers. She (the statue) stood in front of a window, at the end of a room, and with a bench conveniently placed in front of her (perfect for drawing!). The slave girl looked remarkably unconcerned with being in chains. And I found the statue to be in a way, a bit sensational. Almost emotionally manipulative. The slave girl is stands in a very basic and simple pose, with her head slightly turned so that you can appreciate the profile of her face. Her body is very smooth so that all of the shadows fade gently and her arms and wrists are very slender. Her chest is completely uncovered as her arms are both hanging down in chains, although not even