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Antonio Canova

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"Canova" redirects here. For other uses, seeCanova (disambiguation).
Not to be confused withAntonio Cánovas del Castillo.

Antonio Canova
Self-portrait, 1792
Born
Antonio Canova

1 November 1757
Possagno,Republic of Venice
Died13 October 1822(1822-10-13)(aged 64)
Venice,Lombardy–Venetia
NationalityRepublic of Venice(1757–1798)
Austria (territory ceded to Austria) (1798–1805)[1]
Kingdom of Italy(1805–1814)
Austrian Empire(1814–1822)
Known forSculpture
Notable work
MovementNeoclassicism

Antonio Canova(Italian pronunciation:[anˈtɔːnjokaˈnɔːva];1 November 1757 – 13 October 1822) was anItalianNeoclassical sculptor,[2][3]famous for hismarble sculptures.Often regarded as the greatest of the Neoclassical artists,[4]his sculpture was inspired by theBaroqueand the classical revival, and has been characterised as having avoided themelodramaticsof the former, and the cold artificiality of the latter.[5]

Life[edit]

Possagno[edit]

Pinckney Marcius-Simons,The Child Canova Modeling a Lion Out of Butter,c. 1885

In 1757, Antonio Canova was born in theVenetian Republiccity ofPossagnoto Pietro Canova, a stonecutter, and Maria Angela Zardo Fantolini.[6]In 1761, his father died. A year later, his mother remarried. As such, in 1762, he was put into the care of his paternal grandfather Pasino Canova, who was astonemason,owner of aquarry,[5]and was a "sculptor who specialized in altars with statues and low reliefs in late Baroque style".[6]He led Antonio into the art of sculpting.

Before the age of ten, Canova began making models in clay, and carving marble.[7]Indeed, at the age of nine, he executed two small shrines ofCarrara marble,which are still extant.[8]After these works, he appears to have been constantly employed under his grandfather.[8]

Venice[edit]

Orpheus,1777

In 1770,[6]he was an apprentice for two years[7]toGiuseppe Bernardi,who was also known as 'Torretto'. Afterwards, he was under the tutelage ofGiovanni Ferrariuntil he began his studies at theAccademia di Belle Arti di Venezia.[6]At the Academy, he won several prizes.[8]During this time, he was given his first workshop within a monastery by some local monks.[7]

The Senator Giovanni Falier commissioned Canova to produce statues ofOrpheusandEurydicefor his garden – the Villa Falier atAsolo.[9]The statues were begun in 1775, and both were completed by 1777. The pieces exemplify the lateRococo style.[9][10]On the year of their completion, both works were exhibited for theFeast of the AscensioninPiazza San Marco.[5]Widely praised, the works won Canova his first renown among the Venetian elite.[6]Another Venetian who is said to have commissioned early works from Canova was the abateFilippo Farsetti,whose collection atCa' Farsettion theGrand Canalhe frequented.

In 1779, Canova opened his own studio at Calle Del Traghetto at S. Maurizio,.[5]At this time,ProcuratorPietro Vettor Pisani commissioned Canova's first marble statue: a depiction ofDaedalusandIcarus.[5]The statue inspired great admiration for his work at the annual art fair;[11]Canova was paid 100gold zecchinifor the completed work.[5]At the base of the statue, Daedalus' tools are scattered about; these tools are also an allusion to Sculpture, of which the statue is a personification.[12]With such an intention, there is suggestion that Daedalus is a portrait of Canova's grandfather Pasino.[11]

Rome[edit]

Canova arrived inRome,on 28 December 1780. Prior to his departure, his friends had applied to theVenetian Senatefor a pension. Successful in the application, the stipend allotted amounted to three hundred ducats, limited to three years.[8]

While in Rome, Canova spent time studying and sketching the works ofMichelangelo.[6]

Theseus and the Minotaur,Victoria and Albert Museum,London

In 1781,Girolamo Zulian– the Venetian ambassador to Rome – hired Canova to sculptTheseus and the Minotaur.[13]Zulian played a fundamental role in Canova's rise to fame,[14][15]turning some rooms of his palace into a studio for the artist and placing his trust in him despite Canova's early critics in Rome.[15]The statue depicts the victoriousTheseusseated on the lifeless body of aMinotaur.The initial spectators were certain that the work was a copy of a Greek original, and were shocked to learn it was a contemporary work.[16]The highly regarded work is now in the collection of theVictoria & Albert Museum,in London.[13]

Between 1783 and 1785, Canova arranged, composed, and designed a funerary monument dedicated toClement XIVfor theChurch of Santi Apostoli.[7]After another two years, the work met completion in 1787. The monument secured Canova's reputation as the pre-eminent living artist.[8]

In 1792, he completed another cenotaph, this time commemoratingClement XIIIforSt. Peter's Basilica.Canova harmonized its design with the older Baroque funerary monuments in the basilica.[17]

In 1790, he began to work on a funerary monument forTitian,which was eventually abandoned by 1795.[6]During the same year, he increased his activity as a painter.[5]Canova was notoriously disinclined[14]to restore sculptures. However, in 1794 he made an exception for his friend and early patron Zulian, restoring a few sculptures that Zulian had moved from Rome to Venice.[14]

The following decade was extremely productive,[8]beginning works such asHercules and Lichas,Cupid and Psyche,Hebe,Tomb ofDuchess Maria Christina of Saxony-Teschen,andThe Penitent Magdalene.[18]

In 1797, he went toVienna,[19]but only a year later, in 1798, he returned toPossagnofor a year.[8][note 1]

France and England[edit]

By 1800, Canova was the most celebrated artist in Europe.[6]He systematically promoted his reputation by publishing engravings of his works and having marble versions of plaster casts made in his workshop.[20]He became so successful that he had acquired patrons from across Europe includingFrance,England,Russia,AustriaandHolland,as well as several members from different royal lineages, and prominent individuals.[5]Among his patrons wereNapoleonand his family, for whom Canova produced much work, including several depictions between 1803 and 1809.[4]The most notable representations were that ofNapoleon as Mars the Peacemaker,andVenus Victrixwhich was portrayal ofPauline Bonaparte.

Napoleon as Mars the Peacemakerhad its inception after Canova was hired to make a bust of Napoleon in 1802. The statue was begun in 1803, with Napoleon requesting to be shown in a French General's uniform, Canova rejected this, insisting on an allusion toMars,theRoman godofWar.[21]It was completed in 1806.[22]In 1811, the statue arrived in Paris, but not installed; neither was its bronze copy in the Foro Napoleonico in Milan.[21]In 1815, the original went tothe Duke of Wellington,after his victory atWaterlooagainst Napoleon.[22]

If one could make statues by caressing marble, I would say that this statue was formed by wearing out the marble that surrounded it with caresses and kiss

— Joséphine de Beauharnaison theVenus Victrix[6]

Venus Victrixwas originally conceived as a robed and recumbent sculpture ofPauline Borghesein the guise ofDiana.Instead, Pauline ordered Canova to make the statue a nude Venus.[23]The work was not intended for public viewing.[23]

Other works for the Napoleon family include, a bust of Napoleon, a statue of Napoleon's mother, andMarie LouiseasConcordia.[7]

In 1802, Canova was assigned the post of 'Inspector-General of Antiquities and Fine Art of the Papal State', a position formerly held byRaphael.[5]One of his activities in this capacity was to pioneer the restoration of theAppian Wayby restoring the tomb of Servilius Quartus.[24]In 1808 Canova became an associated member of theRoyal Institute of Sciences, Literature and Fine Artsof theKingdom of Holland.[25]

In 1814, he began hisThe Three Graces.[7]

In 1815, he was named 'Minister Plenipotentiary of the Pope,'[5]and was tasked with recovering various works of art that were taken to Paris byNapoleonunder the terms of theTreaty of Paris (1815).[8]

The works of Phidias are truly flesh and blood, like beautiful nature itself

— Antonio Canova[5]

Also in 1815, he visitedLondon,and met withBenjamin Haydon.It was after the advice of Canova that theElgin Marbleswere acquired by the British Museum, with plaster copies sent toFlorence,according to Canova's request.[8]

Returning to Italy[edit]

In 1816, Canova returned to Rome with some of the art Napoleon had taken. He was rewarded with several marks of distinction: he was appointed President of theAccademia di San Luca,inscribed into the "Golden Book of Roman Nobles" by the Pope's own hands,[7]and given the title of Marquis ofIschia,alongside an annual pension of 3,000 crowns.[8]

In 1819, he commenced and completed his commissioned workVenus Italicaas a replacement for theVenus de' Medici.[26]

After his 1814 proposal to build a personified statue of Religion forSt. Peter's Basilicawas rejected, Canova sought to build his own temple to house it.[6]This project came to be theTempio Canoviano.Canova designed, financed, and partly built the structure himself.[5]The structure was to be a testament to Canova's piety.[20]The building's design was inspired by combining theParthenonand thePantheontogether.[5][7]On 11 July 1819, Canova laid the foundation stone dressed in red Papal uniform and decorated with all his medals.[20]It first opened in 1830, and was finally completed in 1836.[20]After the foundation-stone of this edifice had been laid, Canova returned to Rome; but every succeeding autumn he continued to visit Possagno to direct the workmen and encourage them with rewards.[8]

During the period that intervened between commencing operations at Possagno and his death, he executed or finished some of his most striking works. Among these were the groupMars and Venus,the colossal figure ofPius VI,thePietà,theSt John,and a colossal bust of his friend, the CountLeopoldo Cicognara.[8]

George Washington,plaster replica on display at theNorth Carolina Museum of History

In 1820, he made astatue of George Washingtonfor the state ofNorth Carolina.[19]As recommended byThomas Jefferson,the sculptor used themarble bust of WashingtonbyGiuseppe Ceracchias a model.[27]It was delivered on 24 December 1821. The statue and theNorth Carolina State Housewhere it was displayed were later destroyed by fire in 1831. A plaster replica was sent by KingVictor Emmanuel III of Italyin 1910, now on view at theNorth Carolina Museum of History.A marble copy was sculpted byRomano Vioin 1970, now on view in the rotunda of thecapitol building.[27][28]

In 1822, he journeyed to Naples, to superintend the construction of wax moulds for an equestrian statue ofFerdinand VII.The adventure was disastrous to his health, but soon became healthy enough to return to Rome. From there, he voyaged to Venice; however, on 13 October 1822, he died there at the age of 64.[8]As he never married, the name became extinct, except through his stepbrothers' lineage of Satori-Canova.[7]

On 12 October 1822, Canova instructed his brother to use his entire estate to complete the Tempio in Possagno.[20]

On 25 October 1822, his body was placed in the Tempio Canoviano.[8]His heart was interred at theBasilica di Santa Maria Gloriosa dei Frariin Venice, and his right hand preserved in a vase at theAccademia di Belle Arti di Venezia.[6][20]

His memorial service was so grand that it rivaled the ceremony that the city of Florence held for Michelangelo in 1564.[20]

In 1826, Giovanni BattistaSartorisold Canova's Roman studio and took every plaster model and sculpture to Possagno, where they were installed in thegypsothequeof theTempio Canoviano.[20]

Commemorative plaque at the place of life and death of Antonio Canova, inRio Orseolo o del Corval

Works[edit]

Among Canova's most notable works are:[citation needed]

Psyche Revived by Cupid's Kiss(1787)[edit]

Detail ofPsyche Revived by Cupid's Kiss
Main article:Psyche Revived by Cupid's Kiss

Psyche Revived by Cupid's Kisswas commissioned in 1787 byColonel John Campbell.[29]It is regarded as a masterpiece of Neoclassical sculpture, but shows the mythological lovers at a moment of great emotion, characteristic of the emerging movement ofRomanticism.It represents the godCupidin the height of love and tenderness, immediately after awakening the lifelessPsychewith a kiss.

Napoleon as Mars the Peacemaker(1802–1806)[edit]

Main article:Napoleon as Mars the Peacemaker

Napoleon as Mars the Peacemakerhad its inception after Canova was hired to make a bust of Napoleon in 1802. The statue was begun in 1802, with Napoleon requesting to be shown in a French General's uniform, Canova rejected this, insisting on an allusion toMars,theRoman godofWar.[21]It was completed in 1806.[22]In 1811, the statue arrived in Paris, but not installed; neither was its bronze copy in the Foro Napoleonico in Milan.[21]In 1815, the original went tothe Duke of Wellington,after his victory atWaterlooagainst Napoleon[22]and is on display atApsley House.

Perseus Triumphant(1804–1806)[edit]

Detail ofPerseus with the Head of Medusa

Perseus Triumphant,sometimes calledPerseus with the Head of Medusa,was a statue commissioned by tribune Onorato Duveyriez.[30]It depicts the Greek heroPerseusafter his victory over theGorgonMedusa.

The statue was based freely to theApollo Belvedereand theMedusa Rondanini.[31]

Napoleon,after his1796 Italian Campaign,took theApollo Belvedereto Paris. In the statue's absence,Pope Pius VIIacquired Canova'sPerseus Triumphantand placed the work upon theApollo's pedestal.[32]The statue was so successful that when theApollowas returned,Perseusremained as a companion piece.[33]

One replica of the statue was commissioned from Canova by the Polish countessWaleria Tarnowska;it's now displayed in theMetropolitan Museum of ArtinNew York City.[31][34]

Karl Ludwig Fernowsaid of the statue that "every eye must rest with pleasure on the beautiful surface, even when the mind finds its hopes of high and pure enjoyment disappointed."[35]

Venus Victrix(1805–1808)[edit]

Main article:Venus Victrix (Canova)

Venus Victrixranks among the most famous of Canova's works. Originally, Canova wished the depiction to be of a robedDiana,butPauline Borgheseinsisted to appear as a nude Venus.[23]The work was not intended for public viewing.[23]

The Three Graces(1814–1817)[edit]

The Three Graces
Main article:The Three Graces (Canova)

John Russell,the 6th Duke of Bedford, commissioned a version of the now famous work.[36]He had previously visited Canova in his studio in Rome in 1814 and had been immensely impressed by a carving of the Graces the sculptor had made for the EmpressJoséphine.When the Empress died in May of the same year he immediately offered to purchase the completed piece, but was unsuccessful as Josephine's sonEugène de Beauharnaisclaimed it (his sonMaximilian, Duke of Leuchtenbergbrought it toSt. Petersburg,where it can now be found in theHermitage Museum). Undeterred, the Duke commissioned another version for himself.

The sculpting process began in 1814 and was completed in 1817. Finally in 1819 it was installed at the Duke's residence inWoburn Abbey.Canova even made the trip over to England to supervise its installation, choosing for it to be displayed on apedestaladapted from a marbleplinthwith a rotating top. This version is now owned jointly by theVictoria and Albert Museumand theNational Galleries of Scotland,and is alternately displayed at each.

Artistic process[edit]

Canova had a distinct, signature style in which he combined Greek and Roman art practices with early stirrings of romanticism to delve into a new path ofNeoclassicism.[37]Canova's sculptures fall into three categories: Heroic compositions, compositions of grace, and sepulchral monuments.[8]In each of these, Canova's underlying artistic motivations were to challenge, if not compete, with classical statues.[5]

Canova refused to take in pupils and students,[6]but would hire workers to carve the initial figure from the marble. According to art historian Giuseppe Pavanello, "Canova's system of work concentrated on the initial idea, and on the final carving of the marble".[6]He had an elaborate system of comparative pointing so that the workers were able to reproduce the plaster form in the selected block of marble.[35]These workers would leave a thin veil over the entire statue so Canova's could focus on the surface of the statue.[35]

While he worked, he had people read to him select literary and historical texts.[6]

Last touch[edit]

The polish throws upon the parts which are lighted so great brilliancy as frequently to make invisible the most laborious diligence; it cannot be seen, because the strong reflected light dazzles the eyes

— Johann Joachim Winckelmann[35]

During the last quarter of the eighteenth century, it became fashionable to view art galleries at night by torchlight. Canova was an artist that leapt on the fad and displayed his works of art in his studio by candlelight.[20]As such, Canova would begin to finalize the statue with special tools by candlelight,[6]to soften the transitions between the various parts of the nude.[35]After a little recarving, he began to rub the statue down with pumice stone, sometimes for periods longer than weeks or months.[35]If that was not enough, he would usetripoli (rottenstone)andlead.[35]

He then applied a now unknown chemical-composition ofpatinaonto the flesh of the figure to lighten the skin tone.[6]Importantly, his friends also denied any usage of acids in his process.[7]

Criticisms[edit]

Conversations revolving around the justification of art as superfluous usually invoked the name of Canova.[20]Karl Ludwig Fernowbelieved that Canova was notKantianenough in his aesthetic, becauseemphasis seemed to have been placed on agreeableness rather than Beauty.[35]Canova was faulted for creating works that were artificial in complexity.[5]

Legacy[edit]

Facade ofTempio Canoviano

Although theRomantic periodartists buried Canova's name soon after he died, he is slowly being rediscovered.[6]Giuseppe Pavanello wrote in 1996 that "the importance and value of Canova's art is now recognized as holding in balance the last echo of the Ancients and the first symptom of the restless experimentation of the modern age".[6]

Canova spent large parts of his fortune helping young students and sending patrons to struggling sculptors,[19]including SirRichard WestmacottandJohn Gibson.[38][39]

He was introduced into various orders ofchivalry.[7]

A number of his works, sketches, and writings are collected in theSala Canovianaof theMuseo Civico of Bassano del Grappa.Other works, including plaster casts are the Museo Canoviano in Asolo.

In 2018, acrateronMercurywas named in his honor.[40]

Literary inspirations[edit]

Wikisourcehas original text related to this article:
Wikisourcehas original text related to this article:

Two of Canova's works appear as engravings inFisher's Drawing Room Scrap Book,1834, with poetical illustrations byLetitia Elizabeth Landon.These are ofThe Dancing Girl[41]andHebe.[42]

Commemorations[edit]

Gallery[edit]

Notes[edit]

  1. ^The Glory of Venice: Art in the Eighteenth Centurystates (p. 441) that Canova left Venice when it fell, tried to escape to America and then went to Possagno. The fall of Venice was in 1797. There appears to be some gap in knowledge that would correct or amend these accounts. The first reference to Vienna is an online source, the second is theEncyclopædia Britannica, 1911which has already proven itself incorrect in some areas.The Glory of Venicehas proven itself more accurate, but it is undated, leaving speculation of time frame.
  2. ^Napoleon ordered it for the Corso in Milan; Emperor Franz I bought it for the Theseus Temple in the Volksgarten in Vienna; moved to Kunsthistorisches Museum in 1891.

References[edit]

  1. ^The fall of Venice occurred in 1797 but was then ceded later to Austria.Encyclopedia Britannica - Venice.Accessed 14 May 2018.
  2. ^Irwin, David,"Antonio Canova, marchese d'Ischia | Italian sculptor",Britannica,retrieved1 April2017
  3. ^"Canòva, Antonio nell'Enciclopedia Treccani",Treccani.it,retrieved1 April2017
  4. ^abTurner 1996a.
  5. ^abcdefghijklmnoJean Martineau & Andrew Robinson,The Glory of Venice: Art in the Eighteenth Century.Yale University Press, 1994. Print.
  6. ^abcdefghijklmnopqrTurner 1996b.
  7. ^abcdefghijkHandley 1908.
  8. ^abcdefghijklmnoRossetti 1911,pp. 204–206.
  9. ^ab"Eurydice by CANOVA, Antonio".wga.hu.
  10. ^"Orpheus by CANOVA, Antonio".wga.hu.
  11. ^ab"Daedalus and Icarus by CANOVA, Antonio".wga.hu.
  12. ^"Daedalus and Icarus by CANOVA, Antonio".wga.hu.
  13. ^ab"Theseus and the Minotaur by CANOVA, Antonio".wga.hu.
  14. ^abcLa storia del Palazzo di Venezia dalle collezioni Barbo e Grimani a sede dell'ambasciata veneta e austriaca.Rome, Italy:Gangemi.2015. p.60–61.ISBN9788849293661.
  15. ^abDandolo, Girolamo (1855).La caduta della repubblica di Venezia.University of Oxford.p.208–211.ISBN9781841717913.
  16. ^"Antonio Canova: Neoclassical Sculptor, Biography".visual-arts-cork.
  17. ^"Tomb of Pope Clement XIII by CANOVA, Antonio".wga.hu.
  18. ^"Sculptures until 1799".wga.hu.
  19. ^abc"Biography of CANOVA, Antonio in the Web Gallery of Art".wga.hu.
  20. ^abcdefghijOskar Batschmann, The Artist in the Modern World: A Conflict Between Market and Self-Expression. DuMont Bunchverlag, 1997. Print.
  21. ^abcd"Napoleon as Mars the Peacemaker by CANOVA, Antonio".wga.hu.
  22. ^abcd"Napoleon as Mars the Peacemaker by CANOVA, Antonio".wga.hu.
  23. ^abcd"Paolina Borghese as Venus Victrix by CANOVA, Antonio".wga.hu.
  24. ^Paris, Rita, "Appia, una questione non risolta" in "La via Appia, il bianco e il nero di un patrimonio italiano." Electa. 2011
  25. ^"A. Canova (1757–1822)".Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences.Retrieved5 October2016.
  26. ^"Venus Italica by CANOVA, Antonio".wga.hu.
  27. ^ab"George Washington Sculpture, North Carolina State Capitol, Raleigh".University of North Carolina.19 March 2010.
  28. ^"The Canova Statue".North Carolina State University.
  29. ^Johns, C.M.S. (1998)Antonio Canova and the Politics of Patronage in Revolutionary and Napoleonic Europe.Berkeley, CA:University of California Press,p. 149.
  30. ^"Perseus Triumphant".vatican.va.
  31. ^ab"Antonio Canova: Perseus with the Head of Medusa (67.110.1) – Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History – The Metropolitan Museum of Art".metmuseum.org.
  32. ^ Christopher M. S. Johns,Antonia Canova and the Politics of Patronage in Revolutionary and Napoleonic Europe.University of California Press, 1998. Web. – p. 25
  33. ^"Perseus with the Head of Medusa by CANOVA, Antonio".wga.hu.
  34. ^"Perseus with the Head of Medusa by CANOVA, Antonio".wga.hu.
  35. ^abcdefghSatish Padiyar, Chains: David, Canova, and the Fall of the Public Hero in Postrevolutionary France. Pennsylvania State University Press, 2007.
  36. ^The Three Graces.Victoria & Albert Museum, 2013. Retrieved 2 May 2013.
  37. ^Leshko J, Davis J (2000).The Smith College Museum of Art: European and American Painting and Sculpture, 1760-1960.United States: Hudson Hill Press. p. 22.ISBN9781555951948.
  38. ^Sicca, Cinzia; Yarrington, Alison (2001).The Lustrous Trade: Material Culture and the History of Sculpture in England and Italy, c. 1700–c. 1860.A&C Black. p. 9.ISBN9781441185907.
  39. ^"John Gibson R. A."gibson-trail.uk.Archived fromthe originalon 24 March 2022.Retrieved8 June2017.
  40. ^"Canova".Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature.NASA.Retrieved23 May2021.
  41. ^Landon, Letitia Elizabeth (1833). "picture".Fisher's Drawing Room Scrap Book, 1834.Fisher, Son & Co.Landon, Letitia Elizabeth (1833). "poetical illustration".Fisher's Drawing Room Scrap Book, 1834.Fisher, Son & Co.
  42. ^Landon, Letitia Elizabeth (1833). "poetical illustration".Fisher's Drawing Room Scrap Book, 1834.Fisher, Son & Co.Landon, Letitia Elizabeth (1833). "picture".Fisher's Drawing Room Scrap Book, 1834.Fisher, Son & Co.

Sources[edit]

External links[edit]

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