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{{Infobox artist
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| name = Antonio Canova
| name = Antonio Canova
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| alt =
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| caption = Self-portrait, 1792
| caption = Self-portrait, 1792
| birth_name =
| birth_name = Antonio Canova
| birth_date = 1 November 1757
| birth_date = 1 November 1757
| birth_place = [[Possagno]], [[Republic of Venice]]
| birth_place = [[Possagno]], [[Republic of Venice]]
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| field = Sculpture
| field = Sculpture
| training =
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| movement = [[Neo-Classical]]
| works = ''[[Psyche Revived by Cupid's Kiss]]'',<br> ''[[The Three Graces (sculpture)|The Three Graces]]'',<br> ''[[Napoleon as Mars the Peacemaker]]'',<br> ''[[Venus Victrix (Canova)|Venus Victrix]]''
| works =
| patrons =
| patrons =
| influenced by = [[Michelangelo]]<ref name="DoA-5">"Canova, Antonio", ''The Dictionary of Art'': volume V, ed. Jane Turner, in thirty-four volumes, 1996. Grove's Dictionaries Inc., New York, 1998. Print.</ref>
| influenced by =
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[[File:Antonio Canova from the studio if Canova c.1813.jpg|thumb|Antonio Canova from the studio of Canova c.1813]]
'''Antonio Canova''' ({{IPA-it|anˈtɔnjo kaˈnɔva}}; 1 November 1757 – 13 October 1822) was an Italian [[sculpture|sculptor]] from the [[Republic of Venice]] who became famous for his [[marble sculpture]]s that delicately rendered [[nudity|nude]] flesh. The epitome of the [[neoclassicism|neoclassical]] style, his work marked a return to [[Classicism|classical]] refinement after the theatrical excesses of [[Baroque sculpture]]. Among Canova's English pupils were sculptors Sir [[Richard Westmacott]] and [[John Gibson (sculptor)|John Gibson]].


==Early life in Possagno and Venice==
Antonio Canova was born in [[Possagno]], a village of the [[Republic of Venice]] situated amid the recesses of the hills of [[Asolo]], where these form the last undulations of the [[Venetian Alps]], as they subside into the plains of [[Treviso]]. At three years of age Canova lost both parents, his father dying and his mother remarrying. Their loss, however, was compensated by the tender solicitude and care of his paternal grandfather and grandmother, the latter of whom lived to experience in her turn the kindest personal attention from her grandson, who, when he had the means, gave her an asylum in his house at Rome.


'''Antonio Canova''' ({{IPA-it|anˈtɔnjo kaˈnɔva}}; 1 November 1757 – 13 October 1822) was an [[Italians|Italian]] [[neoclassical]] [[sculpture|sculptor]], famous for his [[marble sculpture|marble sculptures]]. Oft regarded as the greatest of the [[neoclassicism|neoclassical]] artists,<ref name="DoA-22">"Neo-Classical", ''The Dictionary of Art'': volume XXII, ed. Jane Turner, in thirty-four volumes, 1996. Grove's Dictionaries Inc., New York, 1998. Print.</ref> his artwork was inspired by the [[Baroque]] and the classical revival, but avoided the [[Melodrama|melodramatics]] of the former, and the cold artificiality of the latter.<ref name="GoV">Jean Martineau & Andrew Robinson, ''The Glory of Venice: Art in the Eighteenth Century.'' Yale University Press, 1994. Print.</ref>
[[File:Asolo-Museum Canoviano.JPG|thumb|left|The ''Museo Canoviano'' located in Possagno near [[Asolo]]]]
His father and grandfather followed the occupation of stone-cutters or minor statuaries; and it is said that their family had for several ages supplied Possagno with members of that calling. As soon as Canova's hand could hold a pencil, he was initiated into the principles of drawing by his grandfather Pasino. The latter possessed some knowledge both of drawing and of architecture, designed well, and showed considerable taste in the execution of ornamental works. He was greatly attached to his art; and upon his young charge he looked as one who was to perpetuate, not only the family name, but also the family profession.


==Biography==
The early years of Canova were passed in study. The bias of his mind was to sculpture, and the facilities afforded for the gratification of this predilection in the workshop of his grandfather were eagerly improved. In his ninth year he executed two small shrines of [[Carrara marble]], which are still extant. Soon after this period he appears to have been constantly employed under his grandfather. Among those who patronized the old man was the patrician family [[Falier]] of [[Venice]], and by this means young Canova was first introduced to the senator of that name, who afterwards became his most zealous patron.
===Possagno===
In 1757, Antonio Canova was born in [[Possagno]], [[Veneto]] to Pietro Canova, a stonecutter.<ref name="DoA-5">"Canova, Antonio", ''The Dictionary of Art'': volume V, ed. Jane Turner, in thirty-four volumes, 1996. Grove's Dictionaries Inc., New York, 1998. Print.</ref> 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 a [[stonemasonry|stone manson]], owner of a [[quarry]],<ref name="GoV"/> and was a "sculptor who specialized in altars with statues and low reliefs in late Baroque style".<ref name="DoA-5"/> He lead Antonio into the art of sculpting.


Prior to begin ten years old, Canova was already making models in clay, and carving marble.<ref name="CA">{{cite web|last=Catholic Encyclopedia|title=Antonio Canova|url=http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/03298b.htm|publisher=Catholic Encyclopedia|accessdate=24 March 2013}}</ref> Indeed, at the age of nine, he executed two small shrines of [[Carrara marble]], which are still extant.<ref name="EB1911">[https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/1911_Encyclop%C3%A6dia_Britannica/Canova,_Antonio "Canova, Antonio", 'https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/1911_Encyclop%C3%A6dia_Britannica/Canova,_Antonio'Encyclopaedia Britannica'': volume V. 1991. Web.</ref> After these works, he appears to have been constantly employed under his grandfather.<ref name="EB1911"/>
Between the younger son, Giuseppe Falier, and the artist a friendship commenced, which terminated only with death. The senator Falier was induced to receive him under his immediate protection. It has been related by an Italian writer and since repeated by several biographers, that Canova was indebted to a trivial circumstance – the moulding of a lion in butter – for the warm interest that Falier took in his welfare. The anecdote may or may not be true. By his patron Canova was placed under Bernardi, or, as he is generally called by filiation, [[Giuseppe Torretto]], a sculptor of considerable eminence, who had taken up a temporary residence at Pagnano, one of [[Asolo]]'s boroughs
in the vicinity of the senator's mansion.


===Venice===
This took place while Canova was in his thirteenth year; and with Torretto he continued about two years, making in many respects considerable progress. This master returned to Venice, where he soon afterwards died; but by the high terms in which he spoke of his pupil to Falier, the latter was induced to bring the young artist to Venice, whither he accordingly went, and was placed under a nephew of Torretto. With this instructor he continued about a year, studying with the utmost assiduity.
[[File:Antonio canova, orfeo, 1777, 01.JPG|thumb|125px|right|''[[Orpheus]]'', (1777)]]


In 1770,<ref name="DoA-5"/> he was an apprentice for two years<ref name="CA"/> to [[Giuseppe Bernardi]], who was also known as 'Torretto'. Afterwards, he was under the tutalage [[Giovanni Ferrari]] until he began his studies at the [[Accademia di Belle Arti di Venezia]].<ref name="DoA-5"/> At the Academy, he won several prizes.<ref name="EB1911"/> During this time, he was given his first workshop within a monastary by some local monks.<ref name="CA"/>
After the termination of this engagement he began to work on his own account, and received from his patron an order for a group, ''[[Orpheus and Eurydice (sculpture)|Orpheus and Eurydice]]''. The first figure, which represents Eurydice in flames and smoke, in the act of leaving [[Hades]], was completed towards the close of his sixteenth year. It was highly esteemed by his patron and friends, and the artist was now considered qualified to appear before a public tribunal.


The Senator Giovanni Falier comissioned Canova to produce statues of [[Orpheus]] and [[Eurydice]] for his garden - the Villa Falier at [[Asolo]].<ref>http://www.wga.hu/html_m/c/canova/1/02orpheu.html</ref> The statues were begun in 1775, and both were completed by 1777. The pieces explify the late [[Rococo style]].<ref>http://www.wga.hu/html_m/c/canova/1/02orpheu.html</ref><ref>http://www.wga.hu/html_m/c/canova/1/01orpheu.html</ref> On the year of its completion, both works were exhibited for the [[Feast of the Ascension]] in Piazza S. Marco.<ref name="GoV"/> Widely praised, the works won Canova his first renown among the Venetian elite.<ref name="DoA-5"/>
[[File:Psyche revived Louvre MR1777.jpg|thumb|''[[Psyche Revived by Cupid's Kiss]]'', in the [[Musée du Louvre|Louvre]], Paris]]
The kindness of some monks supplied him with his first workshop, which was the vacant cell of a monastery. Here for nearly four years he labored with the greatest perseverance and industry. He was also regular in his attendance at the academy, where he carried off several prizes. But he relied far more on the study and imitation of nature. A large portion of his time was also devoted to anatomy, which science was regarded by him as the secret of the art. He likewise frequented places of public amusement, where he carefully studied the expressions and attitudes of the performers. He formed a resolution, which was faithfully adhered to for several years, never to close his eyes at night without having produced some design. Whatever was likely to forward his advancement in sculpture he studied with ardour. On archaeological pursuits he bestowed considerable attention. With ancient and modern history he rendered himself well acquainted and he also began to acquire some of the continental languages.


In 1779, he openned his own studio at Calle Del Traghetto at S. Maurizio,<ref name="GoV"/>. At this time, Procurator Pietro Vettor Pisani comissioned Canova's first marble statue: a depiction of [[Daedalus]] and [[Icarus]].<ref name="GoV"/> The statue inspired great adirmation for his work at the annual art fair;<ref>http://www.wga.hu/html_m/c/canova/1/1daedalu.html</ref> Canova was paid for 100 gold zacchini for the completed work.<ref name="GoV"/> At the base of the statue, Daedalus' tools are scattered about; these tools are also an allusion to Scuplture, of which the statue is a personifcation.<ref>http://www.wga.hu/html_m/c/canova/1/1daedalx.html</ref> With such an intention, there is suggestion that Daedalus is a portait of Canova's grandfather Pasino.<ref>http://www.wga.hu/html_m/c/canova/1/1daedalu.html</ref>
Three years had now elapsed without any production coming from his chisel. He began, however, to complete the group for his patron, and the ''[[Orpheus]]'' that followed, evinced the great advance he had made. The work was universally applauded, and laid the foundation of his fame. Several groups succeeded this performance, among which was that of ''[[Daedalus]] and [[Icarus]]'', the most celebrated work of his noviciate. The terseness of style and the faithful imitation of nature that characterized them called forth the warmest admiration. His merits and reputation being now generally recognized, his thoughts began to turn from the shores of the [[Adriatic]] to the banks of the [[Tiber]], for which he set out at the commencement of his twenty-fourth year.


==Career in Rome==
===Rome===
Before his departure for Rome, his friends had applied to the Venetian senate for a pension, to enable him to pursue his studies without embarrassment. The application was ultimately successful. The stipend amounted to three hundred ducats (about 60 pounds per annum), and was limited to three years. Canova had obtained letters of introduction to the Venetian ambassador, the Cavaliere Zulian, an enlightened and generous protector of the arts, and was received in the most hospitable manner.
Canova arrived in Rome, on 28 December 1780.<ref name="EB1911"/> Prior to his departure, his friends had applied to the Venetian senate for a pension.<ref name="EB1911"/> Successful in the application, the stipend alloted amounted to three hundred ducats, limited to three years.<ref name="EB1911"/>


While in Rome, Canova spent time studying and sketching the works of Michelangelo.<ref name="DoA-5"/>
[[File:Canova - Theseus & Minotaur.jpg|thumb|left|Theseus and the Minotaur, [[V&A]], London]]
His arrival in Rome, on 28 December 1780,<ref name=CA>{{cite web|last=Catholic Encyclopedia|title=Antonio Canova|url=http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/03298b.htm|publisher=Catholic Encyclopedia|accessdate=24 March 2013}}</ref> marks a new era in his life. It was here he was to perfect himself by a study of the most splendid relics of antiquity, and to put his talents to the severest test by a competition with the living masters of the art. The result was equal to the highest hopes cherished either by himself or by his friends. The work that first established his fame at Rome was ''[[Theseus]] Vanquishing the [[Minotaur]]'', now in the collections of the [[Victoria & Albert Museum]], in London. The figures are of the heroic size. The victorious Theseus is represented as seated on the lifeless body of the monster. The exhaustion that visibly pervades his whole frame proves the terrible nature of the conflict in which he has been engaged. Simplicity and natural expression had hitherto characterized Canova's style; with these were now united more exalted conceptions of grandeur and of truth. The Theseus was regarded with fervent admiration.


[[File:Canova - Theseus & Minotaur.jpg|thumb|right|Theseus and the Minotaur, [[V&A]], London]]
Canova's next undertaking was a monument in honor of [[Clement XIV]]; but before he proceeded with it he deemed it necessary to request permission from the Venetian senate, whose servant he considered himself to be, in consideration of the pension. This he solicited, in person, and it was granted. He returned immediately to Rome, and opened his celebrated studio close to the Via del Babuino. He spent about two years of unremitting toil in arranging the design and composing the models for the tomb of the pontiff. After these were completed, other two years were employed in finishing the monument, and it was finally opened to public inspection in 1787. The work, in the opinion of enthusiastic ''dilettanti'', stamped the author as the first artist of modern times.


In 1781, Girolamo Zulian - the Venetian ambassador to Rome - hired Canova to sculpt ''Theseus and the Minotaur''.<ref>http://www.wga.hu/html_m/c/canova/1/2theseus.html</ref> The statue depicts the victorious [[Theseus]] seated on the lifeless body of a [[Minotaur]]. The intial spectators were certain that the work was a copy of a Greek original, and were shocked to learn it was a contemporary work.<ref>http://www.visual-arts-cork.com/sculpture/antonio-canova.htm</ref> The work was regarded with fervent admiration. The work is now in the collections of the [[Victoria & Albert Museum]], in London.<ref>http://www.wga.hu/html_m/c/canova/1/2theseus.html</ref>
[[File:Canova-Three Graces 0 degree view.jpg|thumb|''[[The Three Graces (sculpture)|The Three Graces]]'', Hermitage]]
After five years of incessant labor, he completed another [[cenotaph]], to the memory of [[Clement XIII]], which raised his fame still higher. Works now came rapidly from his chisel. Among these is ''[[Psyche (mortal)|Psyche]]'', with a butterfly, which is placed on the left hand, and held by the wings with the right. This figure, which is intended as a personification of man's immaterial part, is considered as in almost every respect the most faultless and classical of Canova's works. In two different groups, and with opposite expression, the sculptor has represented ''[[Cupid]]'' with his bride; in the one they are standing, in the other recumbent. These and other works raised his reputation so high that the most flattering offers were sent to him from the Russian court to induce him to remove to [[St Petersburg]], but these were declined, although many of his finest works made their way to the [[Hermitage Museum]]. "Italy", says he, in writing of the occurrence to a friend, "Italy is my country – is the country and native soil of the arts. I cannot leave her; my infancy was nurtured here. If my poor talents can be useful in any other land, they must be of some utility to Italy; and ought not her claim to be preferred to all others?"


Canova then took to building the funerary monument of [[Clement XIV]] for the [[Church of Santi Apostoli]].<ref name="CA"/> He eventually completed it in 1787. He spent about two years arranging the design and composing the models for the tomb of the pontiff, and another two years to finishing the monument.<ref name="EB1911"/> The work, in the opinion of enthusiastic ''dilettanti'', stamped the author as the first artist of modern times.<ref name="EB1911"/>
Numerous works were produced in the years 1795–1797, of which several were repetitions of previous productions. One was the celebrated group representing the ''Parting of Venus and Adonis.'' This famous production was sent to [[Naples]]. The [[French Revolution]] was now extending its shocks over Italy; and Canova sought obscurity and repose in his native Possagno. Thither he retired in 1798, and there he continued for about a year, principally employed in painting, of which art also he had some knowledge. Events in the political world having come to a temporary lull, he returned to Rome; but his health being impaired from arduous application, he took a journey through a part of Germany, in company with his friend Prince Rezzonico. He returned from his travels much improved, and again commenced his labors with vigour and enthusiasm.


After five years, he completed another [[cenotaph]] in 1792; this one was to the memory of [[Clement XIII]]. Canova styled the piece to function in harmony with the Baroque funerary monuments in [[St. Peter's Basilica]].<ref>http://www.wga.hu/html_m/c/canova/1/4clemenu.html</ref>
==Trips to France and England==
[[File:Antonio Canova by Sir GH 1817 - British Embassy, Paris.jpg|left|thumb|Canova in 1817 by [[George Hayter]] (British Embassy, Paris)]] The events that marked the life of the artist during the first fifteen years of the period in which he was engaged on the above-mentioned works scarcely merit notice. His mind was entirely absorbed in the labors of his studio, and, with the exception of his journeys to Paris, one to [[Vienna]], and a few short intervals of absence in [[Florence]] and other parts of Italy, he never quit Rome. In his own words, "his statues were the sole proofs of his civil existence."


In 1790, he began to work on a funerary monument for Titian; however, it was eventually abandoned by 1795.<ref name="DoA-5"/> During the same year, he increased his activity as a painter.<ref name="GoV"/>
There was, however, another proof, which modesty forbade him to mention, an ever-active benevolence, especially towards artists. In 1815 he was commissioned by the Pope to superintend the transmission from Paris of those works of art that had formerly been conveyed thither under the direction of [[Napoleon I of France|Napoleon]]. By his zeal and exertions – for there were many conflicting interests to reconcile – he adjusted the affair in a manner at once creditable to his judgment and fortunate for his country.


The following decade was extremely productive, <ref name="EB1911"/> beginning works such as ''Hercules and Lichas'', ''Cupid and Psyche'', ''Hebe'', ''Tomb of [[Maria Christina, Duchess of Teschen|Duchess Maria Christina of Saxony-Teschen]]'', and ''The Penitent Magdalene''.<ref>http://www.wga.hu/html_m/c/canova/1/index.html</ref>
In the autumn of this year he gratified a wish he had long entertained of visiting London, where he received the highest tokens of esteem. The artist for whom he showed particular sympathy and regard in London was [[Benjamin Haydon]], who might at the time be counted the sole representative of historical painting there, and whom he especially honored for his championship of the then recently transported to England and ignorantly depreciated by polite connoisseurs Parthenon's marbles. As a matter of fact, the [[Elgin marbles]] - after an advice by Canova - were acquired by the British Museum, while plaster copies were sent to Florence, Italy, according to Canova's request.


In 1797, he went to Vienna,<ref>http://www.wga.hu/bio_m/c/canova/biograph.html</ref> but only a year later, in 1798, he returned to [[Possagno]] for a year.<ref name="EB1911"/>{{refn|''The Glory of Venice: Art in the Eighteenth Century'' states (pg. 441) that Canova left Venice when it fell, tried to escape to America and then went to Possagno. The fall of Venice was in 1796. 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 the ''Encylopaedia Britannica, 1911'' which has already proven itself incorrect in some areas. ''The Glory of Venice'' has proven itself more accurate, but it is undated, leaving speculation of time frame.|group=notes}}
Canova returned to Rome in the beginning of 1816, with the ransomed spoils of his country's genius. Immediately after, he received several marks of distinction: he was made President of the Accademia di San Luca, the main artistic institution in Rome, and by the hand of the Pope himself his name was inscribed in "the Golden Volume of the Capitol", and he received the title of Marquis of [[Ischia]], with an annual pension of 3000 crowns.


==Last projects==
===France & England===
By 1800, Canova was the most celebrated artist in Europe.<ref name="DoA-5"/> He systematically promoted his reputation by publishing engravings of his works and having marble versions of plaster casts made in his workshop.<ref name="Batschmann">Oskar Batschmann, The Artist in the Modern World: A Conflict Between Market and Self-Expression. DuMont Bunchverlag, 1997. Print.</ref> He became so successful that he had aquired patrons from across Europe including France, England, Russia, Poland, Austria and Holland, as well as several members from different royal lineages, and prominent individuals.<ref name="GoV"/> Among his patrons, [[Napoleon I of France|Napoleon]] and his family was provided by Canova with much work, producing several depictations between 1803 and 1809.<ref name="DoA-22"/> The most notable representations were that of ''[[Napoleon as Mars the Peacemaker]]'', and ''[[Venus Victrix (Canova)|Venus Victrix]]'' which was portrayal of [[Pauline Bonaparte]].
[[File:Canova tomb.jpg|thumb|Monument to Canova in the [[Basilica di Santa Maria Gloriosa dei Frari]], designed by Canova as a [[mausoleum]] for the painter [[Titian]]]]


''[[Napoleon as Mars the Peacemaker]]'' had 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 to [[Mars (mythology)|Mars]], the [[Roman mythology|Roman god]] of [[War]].<ref>http://www.wga.hu/html_m/c/canova/2/1mars.html</ref> It was completed in 1806.<ref>http://www.wga.hu/html_m/c/canova/2/2mars.html</ref> In 1811, the statue arrived in Paris, but not installed; neither was its bronze copy in the Foro Napoleonico in Milan.<ref>http://www.wga.hu/html_m/c/canova/2/1mars.html</ref> In 1815, the original went to [[Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington|the Duke of Wellington]], after his victory at [[Battle of Waterloo |Waterloo]] against Napoleon.<ref>http://www.wga.hu/html_m/c/canova/2/2mars.html</ref>
He now contemplated a great work, a colossal statue of ''Religion''. The model was generally admired by contemporaries; the marble was procured, and the chisel of the sculptor ready to be applied to it, when the jealousy of churchmen as to the site, or some other cause, deprived the country of the projected work. The mind of Canova was inspired with the warmest sense of devotion, and though foiled in this instance he resolved to consecrate a shrine to the cause. In his native village he began to make preparations for erecting a temple, ultimately resulting in [[Tempio Canoviano]], which was to contain, not only the above statue, but other works of his own; within its precincts were to repose also the ashes of the founder. Accordingly, he repaired to Possagno in 1819. After the foundation-stone of this edifice had been laid, Canova returned to Rome; but every succeeding autumn he continued to visit Possagno, in order to direct the workmen, and encourage them with pecuniary rewards and medals.


{{rquote|right|''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 Beauharnais]] on the ''[[Venus Victrix (Canova)|Venus Victrix]]''<ref name="DoA-5"/>}}
In the meantime the vast expenditure exhausted his resources, and compelled him to labor with unceasing assiduity notwithstanding age and disease. 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 group ''Mars and Venus'', the colossal figure of [[Pius VI]], the [[Pietà]], the ''St John'', the recumbent ''[[Mary Magdalene|Magdalen]]''. The last performance that issued from his hand was a colossal bust of his friend, the Count Cicognara.


''[[Venus Victrix (Canova)|Venus Victrix]]'' ranks among the most famous of Canova's works. Originally, Canova wished the depictation to be of Diana, who could be represented with a robe, but Pauline insisted to appear nude.<ref>http://www.wga.hu/html_m/c/canova/2/3paolina.html</ref> The work was not intended for public viewing.<ref>http://www.wga.hu/html_m/c/canova/2/3paolina.html</ref>
[[File:Canova-Magdalene 45 degree view.jpg|thumb|upright|left|''The Penitent Magdalene'' ([[Hermitage Museum]], ex-[[Leuchtenberg Gallery]])]]

In May 1822 he paid a visit to Naples, to superintend the construction of wax moulds for an equestrian statue of the perjured Bourbon king [[Ferdinand VII]]. This journey materially injured his health, but he rallied again on his return to Rome. Towards the latter end of the year he paid his annual visit to the place of his birth, when he experienced a relapse. He proceeded to Venice, and expired there at the age of nearly sixty-five. His disease had affected him from an early age, caused by the continual use of carving-tools, producing a depression of the ribs. The most distinguished funeral honors were paid to his remains, which were deposited in the temple at Possagno on 25 October 1822. His heart was interred in a marble pyramid he designed as a [[mausoleum]] for the painter [[Titian]] in the church of [[Basilica di Santa Maria Gloriosa dei Frari|Santa Maria Gloriosa dei Frari]] in Venice, now a monument to the sculptor.
Other works for the Napoleon family include, a bust of Napoleon, a statue of Napoleon's mother, and [[Marie Louise, Duchess of Parma|Marie Louise]] as [[Concordia (mythology)|Concordia]].<ref name="CA"/>

In 1802, Canova was assigned the post of 'Inspector-General of Antiquities and Fine Art of the Papal State', a position formerly held by [[Raphael]].<ref name="GoV"/>

In 1814, he began his ''[[The Three Graces (sculpture)|The Three Graces]]''.<ref name="CA"/>

In 1815, he was named 'Minister Plenipotentiary of the Pope,'<ref name="GoV"/> and was tasked with recovering various works of art that were taken to Paris by [[Napoleon I of France|Napoleon]].<ref name="EB1911"/>

{{rquote|right|''The works of Phidias are truly flesh and blood, like beautiful nature itself''|Antonio Canova<ref name="GoV"/>}}

Also in 1815, he visited London, and met with [[Benjamin Haydon]]. It was after the advice of Canova that the [[Elgin marbles]] were acquired by the British Museum, with plaster copies sent to Florence, according to Canova's request.<ref name="EB1911"/>

===Returning to Rome, Venice, and Possagno===
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 the [[Accademia di San Luca]], inscribed into the "Golden Book of Roman Nobles" by the Pope's own hands,<ref name="CA"/> and given the title of Marquis of [[Ischia]], alongside a annual pension of 3000 crowns.<ref name="EB1911"/>

In 1819, he commence and completed his commissioned work ''Venus Italica'' as a replacement for the [[Venus de' Medici]].<ref>http://www.wga.hu/html_m/c/canova/2/8venus.html</ref>

After his 1814 proposal to build a personified statue of Religion for [[St. Peter's Basilica]] was rejected, Canova sought to build his own temple to house it.<ref name="DoA-5"/> This project came to be the [[Tempio Canoviano]]. Canova designed, fiananced, and partly built the structure himself.<ref name="GoV"/> The structure was to be a testament to Canova's piety.<ref name="Batschmann"/> The building's design was inspired by combining the [[Parthenon]] and the [[Pantheon, Rome|Pantheon]] together.<ref name="GoV"/><ref name="CA"/> On 11 July 1819, Canova laid the foundation stone dressed in red Papal uniform and decorated with all his medals.<ref name="Batschmann"/> It first opened in 1830, and was finally completed in 1836.<ref name="Batschmann"/> 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.<ref name="EB1911"/>

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 group ''Mars and Venus'', the colossal figure of [[Pius VI]], the [[Pietà]], the ''St John'', and a colossal bust of his friend, the Count Cicognara.<ref name="EB1911"/>

[[File:Canova-Washington.JPG|thumb|upright|right|125px|''Washington'' on display at the [[North Carolina Museum of History]]]]

In 1820, he made a statue of [[George Washington]] for the state of [[North Carolina]].<ref>www.wga.hu/bio_m/c/canova/biograph.html</ref>

In 1822, he journeyed to Naples, to superintend the construction of wax moulds for an equestrian statue of [[Ferdinand VII]]. The adventure was disasterous 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.<ref name="EB1911"/> As he never married, the name became extinct, except through his stepbrothers' lineage of Satori-Canova.<ref name="CA"/>

On 12 October 1822, Canova instructed his brother to use his entire estate to complete the Tempio in Possango.<ref name="Batschmann"/>

On 25 October 1822, his body was placed in the [[Tempio Canoviano]].<ref name="EB1911"/> His heart was interred at the [[Basilica di Santa Maria Gloriosa dei Frari]] in Venice, and his right hand preserved in a vase at the [[Accademia di Belle Arti di Venezia]].<ref name="DoA-5"/><ref name="Batschmann"/><ref name="EB1911"/>

His memoral service was so grand that it rivaled the ceremony that the city of Florence held for Michelangelo in 1564.<ref name="Batschmann"/>

In 1826, Giovanni Battista Sartori sold Canova's Roman studio and took every plaster model and sculpture to Possango, where they were installed in the [[Tempio Canoviano]].<ref name="Batschmann"/>


==Notable works==
==Notable works==
Among Canova's heroic compositions, his ''Perseus Triumphant'' appeared soon after his return from Germany. The moment of representation is when the hero, flushed with conquest, displays the head of the "snaky Gorgon", while the right hand grasps a sword of singular device. By a public decree, this fine work was placed in one of the stanze of the [[Vatican City|Vatican]] hitherto reserved for the most precious works of antiquity.
[[File:Perseus Canova Pio-Clementino Inv969.jpg|thumb|right|Perseus with the Head of Medusa (Vatican)]]
Among Canova's heroic compositions, his ''[[Perseus with the Head of Medusa]]'' (photo, right) appeared soon after his return from Germany. The moment of representation is when the hero, flushed with conquest, displays the head of the "snaky Gorgon", while the right hand grasps a sword of singular device. By a public decree, this fine work was placed in one of the stanze of the [[Vatican City|Vatican]] hitherto reserved for the most precious works of antiquity.
[[File:Napoleon-Canova-London JBU01.jpg|thumb|left|[[Apsley House]] London, [[Napoleon as Mars the Peacemaker]] Canova's statue of Napoleon I of France]]


In 1802, at the personal request of [[Napoleon I of France|Napoleon]], Canova returned to Paris to model a bust of the first consul. The artist was entertained with munificence, and various honors were conferred upon him. The statue (photo, left), which is colossal and entitled ''[[Napoleon as Mars the Peacemaker]]'', was not finished till four years after. On the fall of the great emperor, [[Louis XVIII]] presented this statue to the British government, by whom it was afterwards given to the [[Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington|Duke of Wellington]]. It is now in [[Apsley House]], [[Hyde Park Corner]], London.
In 1802, at the personal request of [[Napoleon I of France|Napoleon]], Canova returned to Paris to model a bust of the first consul. The artist was entertained with munificence, and various honors were conferred upon him. The statue (photo, left), which is colossal and entitled ''[[Napoleon as Mars the Peacemaker]]'', was not finished till four years after. On the fall of the great emperor, [[Louis XVIII]] presented this statue to the British government, by whom it was afterwards given to the [[Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington|Duke of Wellington]]. It is now in [[Apsley House]], [[Hyde Park Corner]], London.


[[File:Canova-Washington.JPG|thumb|upright|right||"Washington" on display at the [[North Carolina Museum of History]]]]
''Palamedes,'' ''Creugas and Damoxenus,'' the ''Combat of Theseus and the Centaur,'' and ''Hercules and Lichas'' may close the class of heroic compositions, although the catalogue might be swelled by the enumeration of various others, such as ''Hector and Ajax,'' King Ferdinand of Naples, and others. Canova's marble statue [[George Washington]] (photo, right) was commissioned by the State of [[North Carolina]] after the war of 1812 to be displayed in its [[North Carolina State Capitol|Capitol Building]]. The work was finished 9 years later and transported via warship, steamship, and finally mule train before being dedicated on Christmas Eve.
''Palamedes,'' ''Creugas and Damoxenus,'' the ''Combat of Theseus and the Centaur,'' and ''Hercules and Lichas'' may close the class of heroic compositions, although the catalogue might be swelled by the enumeration of various others, such as ''Hector and Ajax,'' King Ferdinand of Naples, and others. Canova's marble statue [[George Washington]] (photo, right) was commissioned by the State of [[North Carolina]] after the war of 1812 to be displayed in its [[North Carolina State Capitol|Capitol Building]]. The work was finished 9 years later and transported via warship, steamship, and finally mule train before being dedicated on Christmas Eve.


Line 95: Line 120:


Of the cenotaphs and funeral monuments the most splendid is the monument to the archduchess Maria Christina, Duchess of Teschen, consisting of nine figures. Besides the two for the [[Roman Pontiff]]s already mentioned, there is one for [[Alfieri]], another for Emo, a Venetian admiral, and a small model of a cenotaph for [[Horatio Nelson]], besides a great variety of monumental relieves such as the Stele Tadini in the Chapel of the [[Accademia Tadini]] in [[Lovere]]. [[George Anthony Legh Keck]] was known to have collected some of Antonio Canovas sculptures and had them on display at his jacobean mansion house of [[Bank Hall]] in Bretherton. After the death of Legh Keck in 1860 the sculptures where auctioned off, their whereabouts is unknown.
Of the cenotaphs and funeral monuments the most splendid is the monument to the archduchess Maria Christina, Duchess of Teschen, consisting of nine figures. Besides the two for the [[Roman Pontiff]]s already mentioned, there is one for [[Alfieri]], another for Emo, a Venetian admiral, and a small model of a cenotaph for [[Horatio Nelson]], besides a great variety of monumental relieves such as the Stele Tadini in the Chapel of the [[Accademia Tadini]] in [[Lovere]]. [[George Anthony Legh Keck]] was known to have collected some of Antonio Canovas sculptures and had them on display at his jacobean mansion house of [[Bank Hall]] in Bretherton. After the death of Legh Keck in 1860 the sculptures where auctioned off, their whereabouts is unknown.

==Artistic process==
{{rquote|right|''Canova's system of work concentrated on the intial idea, and on the final carving of the marble''<ref name="DoA-5"/>}}

Canova's sculptures fall into three categories: Heroic compositions, compositions of grace, and sepulchral monuments.<ref name="EB1911"/> In each of these, Canova's underlying artistic motivations were to challenge, if not compete, with classical statues.<ref name="GoV"/>

Canova refused to take in pupils and students,<ref name="DoA-5"/> but would hire workers to carve the intial figure from the marble. 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.<ref name="Padiyar">Satish Padiyar, Chains: David, Canova, and the Fall of the Public Hero in Postrevolutionary France. Pennsylvania State University Press, 2007.</ref> These workers would leave a thin veil over the entire statue so Canova's could focus on the surface of the statue.<ref name="Padiyar"/>

While he worked, he had people read to him select literary and historical texts.<ref name="DoA-5"/>

===Last touch===
{{rquote|right|''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<ref name="Padiyar"/>}}

During the last quarter of the eigthteenth century, it became fashionable to view art galleries at night by torchlight. Canova was an artist that lept on the fad and displayed his works of art in his studio by candlelight.<ref name="Batschmann"/> As such, Canova would begin to finalize the statue with special tools by candlelight,<ref name="DoA-5"/> to soften the transitions between the various parts of the nude.<ref name="Padiyar"/> After a little recarving, he began to rub the statue down with with pumice stone, sometimes for period longer that weeks or months.<ref name="Padiyar"/> If that was not enough, he would use [[Rotten stone|tripoli (rottenstone)]] and [[lead]].<ref name="Padiyar"/>

He then applied a now unknown chemical-composition of [[patina]] onto the flesh of the figure to lighten the skin tone.<ref name="DoA-5"/> Importantly, his friends also denied any usage of acids in his process.<ref name="CA"/>

==Critizisms==
Conversations revolving around the justification of art as superfluous usually invoked the name of Canova.<ref name="Batschmann"/>

[[Karl Ludwig Fernow]] believed that Canova was not [[Kant|Kantian]] enough in Canova's aesthetic, because [[Critique of Judgment|emphasis seemed to have been placed on agreeableness rather than Beauty]].<ref name="Padiyar"/>

Canova was also faulted for creating works that were artifical in complexity.<ref name="GoV"/>

==Legacy==
[[File:Asolo-Museum Canoviano.JPG|thumb|right|The ''Museo Canoviano'' located in Possagno near [[Asolo]]]]

{{cquote|''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''<ref name="DoA-5"/>}}

Canova spent large parts of his fortune helping young students and sending patrons to struggling sculptors,<ref>www.wga.hu/bio_m/c/canova/biograph.html</ref> including Sir [[Richard Westmacott]] and [[John Gibson (sculptor)|John Gibson]].{{cn}}

He was introduced into various orders of [[chivalry]].<ref name="CA"/>

The [[Romantic period]] artists buried Canova's name soon after he died, but he is slowly being rediscovered.<ref name="DoA-5"/>

===Comemorations===
*[[Canova, South Dakota]]
*Via Antonio Canova, in [[Treviso]]


==Gallery==
==Gallery==
<gallery>
<gallery>
File:Antonio Canova from the studio if Canova c.1813.jpg|Antonio Canova from the studio of Canova c.1813
File:Tomb of Pope Clement XIII Gregorovius.jpg|Tomb of Clement&nbsp;XIII.
File:Tomb of Pope Clement XIV Gregorovius.jpg|Tomb of Clement&nbsp;XIV.
File:Tomb of Pope Clement XIII Gregorovius.jpg|Tomb of Clement&nbsp;XIII
File:Tomb Monument of Pius VI Gregorovius.jpg|Monument to Pius&nbsp;VI.
File:Tomb of Pope Clement XIV Gregorovius.jpg|Tomb of Clement&nbsp;XIV
File:Tomb Monument of Pius VI Gregorovius.jpg|Monument to Pius&nbsp;VI
File:Amor-Psyche-Canova-JBU02.JPG|Amor (Cupid) kisses Psyche by Antonio Canova, Louvre
File:Amor-Psyche-Canova-JBU04.JPG|Amor (Cupid) kisses Psyche by Antonio Canova, Louvre, Detail
File:Amor-Psyche-Canova-JBU02.JPG|''[[Psyche Revived by Cupid's Kiss]]'', Louvre
File:Amor-Psyche-Canova-JBU04.JPG|''[[Psyche Revived by Cupid's Kiss]]'', Louvre (detail)
File:Theseus and Centaur.jpg|Theseus Fighting the Centaur (1804–1819), [[Kunsthistorisches Museum]], Vienna.<ref>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.</ref>
File:Perseus Canova Pio-Clementino Inv969.jpg|''Perseus Triumphant'', Vatican
File:Theseus and Centaur.jpg|Theseus Fighting the Centaur (1804–1819), [[Kunsthistorisches Museum]], Vienna<ref>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.</ref>
|''Victory'' (c. 1813) [[Dallas Museum of Art]]
|''Victory'' (c. 1813) [[Dallas Museum of Art]]
File:Jerome & Henrietta busts.jpg|Pair of portrait busts by Canova, circa 1815.
File:Jerome & Henrietta busts.jpg|Pair of portrait busts by Canova, c. 1815
File:Napoleon-Canova-London JBU01.jpg|''[[Napoleon as Mars the Peacemaker]]'', [[Apsley House]] London
File:VenusVictrix.jpg|[[Pauline Bonaparte]] as [[Venus Victrix (Canova)|Venus Victrix]], now at the [[Galleria Borghese]]
File:VenusVictrix.jpg|[[Pauline Bonaparte]] as ''[[Venus Victrix (Canova)|Venus Victrix]]'', now at the [[Galleria Borghese]]
File:Antonio Canova Cenotaph of Archduchess Maria Christina Augustinerkirche (Wien) panoramic sculpture Austria 2014 photo Paolo Villa August FOTO8412 - FOTO8425auto.jpg|Panorama of Cenotaph to [[Maria Christina, Duchess of Teschen|Maria Christina of Austria]].
File:Frith, Francis (1822-1898) - n. 2340 - Tomb of Marie Christine by Canova - Vienna.jpg|Cenotaph to [[Maria Christina, Duchess of Teschen|Maria Christina of Austria]] in the [[Augustinian Church, Vienna|Augustinerkirche]].
File:Antonio Canova Cenotaph of Archduchess Maria Christina Augustinerkirche (Wien) panoramic sculpture Austria 2014 photo Paolo Villa August FOTO8412 - FOTO8425auto.jpg|Panorama of Cenotaph to [[Maria Christina, Duchess of Teschen|Maria Christina of Austria]]
File:Frith, Francis (1822-1898) - n. 2340 - Tomb of Marie Christine by Canova - Vienna.jpg|Cenotaph to [[Maria Christina, Duchess of Teschen|Maria Christina of Austria]] in the [[Augustinian Church, Vienna|Augustinerkirche]]
File:Canova-Magdalene 45 degree view.jpg|''The Penitent Magdalene'' ([[Hermitage Museum]], ex-[[Leuchtenberg Gallery]])
File:Italy, Antonio Canova Medal by Putinati.jpg|Antonio Canova Medal by Francesco Putinati
File:Canova-Three Graces 0 degree view.jpg''[[The Three Graces (sculpture)|The Three Graces]]'', Hermitage
File:Canova tomb.jpg|Monument to Canova in the [[Basilica di Santa Maria Gloriosa dei Frari]], designed by Canova as a [[mausoleum]] for the painter [[Titian]]
</gallery>
</gallery>


==Notes==
==References, notes and sources==
{{Reflist|group=notes}}
;References

==References==
{{reflist}}
{{reflist}}
;Notes
[[Canova, South Dakota]], was named after Antonio Canova.
;Sources
*{{EB1911|wstitle=Canova, Antonio}}
*{{cite book|first=Yvonne |last=zu Dohna|title=Canova und die Tradition|location=Bern|publisher=Lang|year=2006}}
* Johannes Myssok, ''Antonio Canova. Die Erneuerung der klassischen Mythen in der Kunst um 1800'' (Petersberg: Michael Imhof Verlag 2007).
* Christian M. Geyer: [http://www.reimer-mann-verlag.de/controller.php?cmd=detail&titelnummer=302633&verlag=3 ''Der Sinn für Kunst - die Skulpturen Canovas für München.''] Gebr. Mann, Berlin 2010, ISBN 978-3-7861-2633-1.


==External links==
==External links==
Line 131: Line 196:
*[http://www.museocanova.it/menu.php?name=hom&lang=uk Canova museum and plaster cast gallery]
*[http://www.museocanova.it/menu.php?name=hom&lang=uk Canova museum and plaster cast gallery]
*[http://www.alessandroronchi.net/2008/canova-exhibition-at-forli-san-domenico-museum/ Canova 2009 Exhibition in Forlì, Italy]
*[http://www.alessandroronchi.net/2008/canova-exhibition-at-forli-san-domenico-museum/ Canova 2009 Exhibition in Forlì, Italy]

{{Canova |state=expanded}}


{{Authority control}}
{{Authority control}}
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| PLACE OF DEATH = [[Venice]]
| PLACE OF DEATH = [[Venice]]
}}
}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Canova, Antonio}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Canova, Antonio}}
[[Category:1757 births]]
[[Category:1757 births]]

Revision as of 14:39, 5 October 2015

"Canova" redirects here. For other uses, see Canova (disambiguation).

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
NationalityItalian
Known forSculpture
Notable workPsyche Revived by Cupid's Kiss,
The Three Graces,
Napoleon as Mars the Peacemaker,
Venus Victrix
MovementNeo-Classical


Antonio Canova (Italian pronunciation: [anˈtɔnjo kaˈnɔva]; 1 November 1757 – 13 October 1822) was an Italian neoclassical sculptor, famous for his marble sculptures. Oft regarded as the greatest of the neoclassical artists,[2] his artwork was inspired by the Baroque and the classical revival, but avoided the melodramatics of the former, and the cold artificiality of the latter.[3]

Biography

Possagno

In 1757, Antonio Canova was born in Possagno, Veneto to Pietro Canova, a stonecutter.[1] 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 a stone manson, owner of a quarry,[3] and was a "sculptor who specialized in altars with statues and low reliefs in late Baroque style".[1] He lead Antonio into the art of sculpting.

Prior to begin ten years old, Canova was already making models in clay, and carving marble.[4] Indeed, at the age of nine, he executed two small shrines of Carrara marble, which are still extant.[5] After these works, he appears to have been constantly employed under his grandfather.[5]

Venice

Orpheus, (1777)

In 1770,[1] he was an apprentice for two years[4] to Giuseppe Bernardi, who was also known as 'Torretto'. Afterwards, he was under the tutalage Giovanni Ferrari until he began his studies at the Accademia di Belle Arti di Venezia.[1] At the Academy, he won several prizes.[5] During this time, he was given his first workshop within a monastary by some local monks.[4]

The Senator Giovanni Falier comissioned Canova to produce statues of Orpheus and Eurydice for his garden - the Villa Falier at Asolo.[6] The statues were begun in 1775, and both were completed by 1777. The pieces explify the late Rococo style.[7][8] On the year of its completion, both works were exhibited for the Feast of the Ascension in Piazza S. Marco.[3] Widely praised, the works won Canova his first renown among the Venetian elite.[1]

In 1779, he openned his own studio at Calle Del Traghetto at S. Maurizio,[3]. At this time, Procurator Pietro Vettor Pisani comissioned Canova's first marble statue: a depiction of Daedalus and Icarus.[3] The statue inspired great adirmation for his work at the annual art fair;[9] Canova was paid for 100 gold zacchini for the completed work.[3] At the base of the statue, Daedalus' tools are scattered about; these tools are also an allusion to Scuplture, of which the statue is a personifcation.[10] With such an intention, there is suggestion that Daedalus is a portait of Canova's grandfather Pasino.[11]

Rome

Canova arrived in Rome, on 28 December 1780.[5] Prior to his departure, his friends had applied to the Venetian senate for a pension.[5] Successful in the application, the stipend alloted amounted to three hundred ducats, limited to three years.[5]

While in Rome, Canova spent time studying and sketching the works of Michelangelo.[1]

Theseus and the Minotaur, V&A, London

In 1781, Girolamo Zulian - the Venetian ambassador to Rome - hired Canova to sculpt Theseus and the Minotaur.[12] The statue depicts the victorious Theseus seated on the lifeless body of a Minotaur. The intial spectators were certain that the work was a copy of a Greek original, and were shocked to learn it was a contemporary work.[13] The work was regarded with fervent admiration. The work is now in the collections of the Victoria & Albert Museum, in London.[14]

Canova then took to building the funerary monument of Clement XIV for the Church of Santi Apostoli.[4] He eventually completed it in 1787. He spent about two years arranging the design and composing the models for the tomb of the pontiff, and another two years to finishing the monument.[5] The work, in the opinion of enthusiastic dilettanti, stamped the author as the first artist of modern times.[5]

After five years, he completed another cenotaph in 1792; this one was to the memory of Clement XIII. Canova styled the piece to function in harmony with the Baroque funerary monuments in St. Peter's Basilica.[15]

In 1790, he began to work on a funerary monument for Titian; however, it was eventually abandoned by 1795.[1] During the same year, he increased his activity as a painter.[3]

The following decade was extremely productive, [5] beginning works such as Hercules and Lichas, Cupid and Psyche, Hebe, Tomb of Duchess Maria Christina of Saxony-Teschen, and The Penitent Magdalene.[16]

In 1797, he went to Vienna,[17] but only a year later, in 1798, he returned to Possagno for a year.[5][notes 1]

France & England

By 1800, Canova was the most celebrated artist in Europe.[1] He systematically promoted his reputation by publishing engravings of his works and having marble versions of plaster casts made in his workshop.[18] He became so successful that he had aquired patrons from across Europe including France, England, Russia, Poland, Austria and Holland, as well as several members from different royal lineages, and prominent individuals.[3] Among his patrons, Napoleon and his family was provided by Canova with much work, producing several depictations between 1803 and 1809.[2] The most notable representations were that of Napoleon as Mars the Peacemaker, and Venus Victrix which was portrayal of Pauline Bonaparte.

Napoleon as Mars the Peacemaker had 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 to Mars, the Roman god of War.[19] It was completed in 1806.[20] 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 to the Duke of Wellington, after his victory at Waterloo against 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 Beauharnais on the Venus Victrix[1]

Venus Victrix ranks among the most famous of Canova's works. Originally, Canova wished the depictation to be of Diana, who could be represented with a robe, but Pauline insisted to appear nude.[23] The work was not intended for public viewing.[24]

Other works for the Napoleon family include, a bust of Napoleon, a statue of Napoleon's mother, and Marie Louise as Concordia.[4]

In 1802, Canova was assigned the post of 'Inspector-General of Antiquities and Fine Art of the Papal State', a position formerly held by Raphael.[3]

In 1814, he began his The Three Graces.[4]

In 1815, he was named 'Minister Plenipotentiary of the Pope,'[3] and was tasked with recovering various works of art that were taken to Paris by Napoleon.[5]

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

— Antonio Canova[3]

Also in 1815, he visited London, and met with Benjamin Haydon. It was after the advice of Canova that the Elgin marbles were acquired by the British Museum, with plaster copies sent to Florence, according to Canova's request.[5]

Returning to Rome, Venice, and Possagno

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 the Accademia di San Luca, inscribed into the "Golden Book of Roman Nobles" by the Pope's own hands,[4] and given the title of Marquis of Ischia, alongside a annual pension of 3000 crowns.[5]

In 1819, he commence and completed his commissioned work Venus Italica as a replacement for the Venus de' Medici.[25]

After his 1814 proposal to build a personified statue of Religion for St. Peter's Basilica was rejected, Canova sought to build his own temple to house it.[1] This project came to be the Tempio Canoviano. Canova designed, fiananced, and partly built the structure himself.[3] The structure was to be a testament to Canova's piety.[18] The building's design was inspired by combining the Parthenon and the Pantheon together.[3][4] On 11 July 1819, Canova laid the foundation stone dressed in red Papal uniform and decorated with all his medals.[18] It first opened in 1830, and was finally completed in 1836.[18] 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.[5]

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 group Mars and Venus, the colossal figure of Pius VI, the Pietà, the St John, and a colossal bust of his friend, the Count Cicognara.[5]

Washington on display at the North Carolina Museum of History

In 1820, he made a statue of George Washington for the state of North Carolina.[26]

In 1822, he journeyed to Naples, to superintend the construction of wax moulds for an equestrian statue of Ferdinand VII. The adventure was disasterous 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.[5] As he never married, the name became extinct, except through his stepbrothers' lineage of Satori-Canova.[4]

On 12 October 1822, Canova instructed his brother to use his entire estate to complete the Tempio in Possango.[18]

On 25 October 1822, his body was placed in the Tempio Canoviano.[5] His heart was interred at the Basilica di Santa Maria Gloriosa dei Frari in Venice, and his right hand preserved in a vase at the Accademia di Belle Arti di Venezia.[1][18][5]

His memoral service was so grand that it rivaled the ceremony that the city of Florence held for Michelangelo in 1564.[18]

In 1826, Giovanni Battista Sartori sold Canova's Roman studio and took every plaster model and sculpture to Possango, where they were installed in the Tempio Canoviano.[18]

Notable works

Among Canova's heroic compositions, his Perseus Triumphant appeared soon after his return from Germany. The moment of representation is when the hero, flushed with conquest, displays the head of the "snaky Gorgon", while the right hand grasps a sword of singular device. By a public decree, this fine work was placed in one of the stanze of the Vatican hitherto reserved for the most precious works of antiquity.

In 1802, at the personal request of Napoleon, Canova returned to Paris to model a bust of the first consul. The artist was entertained with munificence, and various honors were conferred upon him. The statue (photo, left), which is colossal and entitled Napoleon as Mars the Peacemaker, was not finished till four years after. On the fall of the great emperor, Louis XVIII presented this statue to the British government, by whom it was afterwards given to the Duke of Wellington. It is now in Apsley House, Hyde Park Corner, London.

Palamedes, Creugas and Damoxenus, the Combat of Theseus and the Centaur, and Hercules and Lichas may close the class of heroic compositions, although the catalogue might be swelled by the enumeration of various others, such as Hector and Ajax, King Ferdinand of Naples, and others. Canova's marble statue George Washington (photo, right) was commissioned by the State of North Carolina after the war of 1812 to be displayed in its Capitol Building. The work was finished 9 years later and transported via warship, steamship, and finally mule train before being dedicated on Christmas Eve.

Under the head of compositions of grace and elegance, the statue of Hebe takes the first place in point of date. Four times has the artist embodied in stone the goddess of youth, and each time with some variation. The last one is in the Museum of Forlì, in Italy. The only material improvement, however, is the substitution of a support more suitable to the simplicity of the art. Each of the statues is elegant in expression, attitude, and delicacy of finish.

The Dancing Nymphs maintain a character similar to that of the Hebe. The Three Graces and the Venus are more elevated. The Awakened Nymph is another notable work. The mother of Napoleon, his consort Maria Louise (as Concord), to model whom the author made a further journey to Paris in 1810, the princess Esterhazy and the muse Polymnia (Elisa Bonaparte) take their place in this class, as do the ideal heads, comprising Corinna, Sappho, Laura, Beatrice and Helen of Troy.

Of the cenotaphs and funeral monuments the most splendid is the monument to the archduchess Maria Christina, Duchess of Teschen, consisting of nine figures. Besides the two for the Roman Pontiffs already mentioned, there is one for Alfieri, another for Emo, a Venetian admiral, and a small model of a cenotaph for Horatio Nelson, besides a great variety of monumental relieves such as the Stele Tadini in the Chapel of the Accademia Tadini in Lovere. George Anthony Legh Keck was known to have collected some of Antonio Canovas sculptures and had them on display at his jacobean mansion house of Bank Hall in Bretherton. After the death of Legh Keck in 1860 the sculptures where auctioned off, their whereabouts is unknown.

Artistic process

Canova's system of work concentrated on the intial idea, and on the final carving of the marble[1]

Canova's sculptures fall into three categories: Heroic compositions, compositions of grace, and sepulchral monuments.[5] In each of these, Canova's underlying artistic motivations were to challenge, if not compete, with classical statues.[3]

Canova refused to take in pupils and students,[1] but would hire workers to carve the intial figure from the marble. 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.[27] These workers would leave a thin veil over the entire statue so Canova's could focus on the surface of the statue.[27]

While he worked, he had people read to him select literary and historical texts.[1]

Last touch

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[27]

During the last quarter of the eigthteenth century, it became fashionable to view art galleries at night by torchlight. Canova was an artist that lept on the fad and displayed his works of art in his studio by candlelight.[18] As such, Canova would begin to finalize the statue with special tools by candlelight,[1] to soften the transitions between the various parts of the nude.[27] After a little recarving, he began to rub the statue down with with pumice stone, sometimes for period longer that weeks or months.[27] If that was not enough, he would use tripoli (rottenstone) and lead.[27]

He then applied a now unknown chemical-composition of patina onto the flesh of the figure to lighten the skin tone.[1] Importantly, his friends also denied any usage of acids in his process.[4]

Critizisms

Conversations revolving around the justification of art as superfluous usually invoked the name of Canova.[18]

Karl Ludwig Fernow believed that Canova was not Kantian enough in Canova's aesthetic, because emphasis seemed to have been placed on agreeableness rather than Beauty.[27]

Canova was also faulted for creating works that were artifical in complexity.[3]

Legacy

The Museo Canoviano located in Possagno near Asolo

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[1]

Canova spent large parts of his fortune helping young students and sending patrons to struggling sculptors,[28] including Sir Richard Westmacott and John Gibson.[citation needed]

He was introduced into various orders of chivalry.[4]

The Romantic period artists buried Canova's name soon after he died, but he is slowly being rediscovered.[1]

Comemorations

Notes

  1. ^ The Glory of Venice: Art in the Eighteenth Century states (pg. 441) that Canova left Venice when it fell, tried to escape to America and then went to Possagno. The fall of Venice was in 1796. 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 the Encylopaedia Britannica, 1911 which has already proven itself incorrect in some areas. The Glory of Venice has proven itself more accurate, but it is undated, leaving speculation of time frame.

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s "Canova, Antonio", The Dictionary of Art: volume V, ed. Jane Turner, in thirty-four volumes, 1996. Grove's Dictionaries Inc., New York, 1998. Print.
  2. ^ a b "Neo-Classical", The Dictionary of Art: volume XXII, ed. Jane Turner, in thirty-four volumes, 1996. Grove's Dictionaries Inc., New York, 1998. Print.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o Jean Martineau & Andrew Robinson, The Glory of Venice: Art in the Eighteenth Century. Yale University Press, 1994. Print.
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Catholic Encyclopedia. "Antonio Canova". Catholic Encyclopedia. Retrieved 24 March 2013.
  5. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s [https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/1911_Encyclop%C3%A6dia_Britannica/Canova,_Antonio "Canova, Antonio", 'https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/1911_Encyclop%C3%A6dia_Britannica/Canova,_Antonio'Encyclopaedia Britannica: volume V. 1991. Web.
  6. ^ http://www.wga.hu/html_m/c/canova/1/02orpheu.html
  7. ^ http://www.wga.hu/html_m/c/canova/1/02orpheu.html
  8. ^ http://www.wga.hu/html_m/c/canova/1/01orpheu.html
  9. ^ http://www.wga.hu/html_m/c/canova/1/1daedalu.html
  10. ^ http://www.wga.hu/html_m/c/canova/1/1daedalx.html
  11. ^ http://www.wga.hu/html_m/c/canova/1/1daedalu.html
  12. ^ http://www.wga.hu/html_m/c/canova/1/2theseus.html
  13. ^ http://www.visual-arts-cork.com/sculpture/antonio-canova.htm
  14. ^ http://www.wga.hu/html_m/c/canova/1/2theseus.html
  15. ^ http://www.wga.hu/html_m/c/canova/1/4clemenu.html
  16. ^ http://www.wga.hu/html_m/c/canova/1/index.html
  17. ^ http://www.wga.hu/bio_m/c/canova/biograph.html
  18. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Oskar Batschmann, The Artist in the Modern World: A Conflict Between Market and Self-Expression. DuMont Bunchverlag, 1997. Print.
  19. ^ http://www.wga.hu/html_m/c/canova/2/1mars.html
  20. ^ http://www.wga.hu/html_m/c/canova/2/2mars.html
  21. ^ http://www.wga.hu/html_m/c/canova/2/1mars.html
  22. ^ http://www.wga.hu/html_m/c/canova/2/2mars.html
  23. ^ http://www.wga.hu/html_m/c/canova/2/3paolina.html
  24. ^ http://www.wga.hu/html_m/c/canova/2/3paolina.html
  25. ^ http://www.wga.hu/html_m/c/canova/2/8venus.html
  26. ^ www.wga.hu/bio_m/c/canova/biograph.html
  27. ^ a b c d e f g Satish Padiyar, Chains: David, Canova, and the Fall of the Public Hero in Postrevolutionary France. Pennsylvania State University Press, 2007.
  28. ^ www.wga.hu/bio_m/c/canova/biograph.html
  29. ^ 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.
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