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Antonio Canova (; 1 November 1757 – 13 October 1822) was an Italian Neoclassical sculptor, famous for his
marble sculpture Marble has been the preferred material for stone monumental sculpture since ancient times, with several advantages over its more common geological "parent" limestone, in particular the ability to absorb light a small distance into the surface be ...
s. Often regarded as the greatest of the Neoclassical artists,. his sculpture was inspired by the
Baroque The Baroque (, ; ) is a style of architecture, music, dance, painting, sculpture, poetry, and other arts that flourished in Europe from the early 17th century until the 1750s. In the territories of the Spanish and Portuguese empires including t ...
and the classical revival, and has been characterised as having avoided the
melodrama A modern melodrama is a dramatic work in which the plot, typically sensationalized and for a strong emotional appeal, takes precedence over detailed characterization. Melodramas typically concentrate on dialogue that is often bombastic or exces ...
tics of the former, and the cold artificiality of the latter.Jean Martineau & Andrew Robinson, ''The Glory of Venice: Art in the Eighteenth Century.'' Yale University Press, 1994. Print.


Life


Possagno

In 1757, Antonio Canova was born in the Venetian Republic city of
Possagno Possagno is a comune in the Province of Treviso, in the Italian region Veneto. It is located about northwest of Venice and about northwest of Treviso. As of 31 August 2021, it had a population of 2,191 and an area of .All demographics and other ...
to Pietro Canova, a stonecutter, and Maria Angela Zardo Fantolini.. 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
stonemason Stonemasonry or stonecraft is the creation of buildings, structures, and sculpture using stone as the primary material. It is one of the oldest activities and professions in human history. Many of the long-lasting, ancient shelters, temples, mo ...
, owner of a quarry, and was a "sculptor who specialized in altars with statues and low reliefs in late Baroque style". He led Antonio into the art of sculpting. Before the age of ten, Canova began making models in clay, and carving marble.. Indeed, at the age of nine, he executed two small shrines of Carrara marble, which are still extant.. After these works, he appears to have been constantly employed under his grandfather.


Venice

In 1770, he was an apprentice for two years to Giuseppe Bernardi, who was also known as 'Torretto'. Afterwards, he was under the tutelage of Giovanni Ferrari until he began his studies at the Accademia di Belle Arti di Venezia. At the Academy, he won several prizes. During this time, he was given his first workshop within a monastery by some local monks. The Senator Giovanni Falier commissioned Canova to produce statues of Orpheus and Eurydice for his garden – the Villa Falier at Asolo. The statues were begun in 1775, and both were completed by 1777. The pieces exemplify the late
Rococo style Rococo (, also ), less commonly Roccoco or Late Baroque, is an exceptionally ornamental and theatrical style of architecture, art and decoration which combines asymmetry, scrolling curves, gilding, white and pastel colours, sculpted moulding, ...
. On the year of their completion, both works were exhibited for the Feast of the Ascension in Piazza S. Marco. Widely praised, the works won Canova his first renown among the Venetian elite. Another Venetian who is said to have commissioned early works from Canova was the abate
Filippo Farsetti Filippo Vincenzo Farsetti (Venice, 13 January 1703 - Venice, 22 September 1774), was an Italian art collector and patron of the arts. Early life Filippo was the son of Anton Francesco Farsetti and his wife Marina Foscari. The Foscari were an ancie ...
, whose collection at
Ca' Farsetti Ca' Farsetti is a palace in Venice, Italy. It is located in the ''sestiere'' (district) of San Marco, and faces the Grand Canal, not far from the Ponte di Rialto. The neighboring building is Palazzo Cavalli. History The palace was built in the ...
on the Grand Canal he frequented. In 1779, Canova opened his own studio at Calle Del Traghetto at S. Maurizio,. At this time, Procurator Pietro Vettor Pisani commissioned Canova's first marble statue: a depiction of Daedalus and
Icarus In Greek mythology, Icarus (; grc, Ἴκαρος, Íkaros, ) was the son of the master craftsman Daedalus, the architect of the labyrinth of Crete. After Theseus, king of Athens and enemy of Minos, escaped from the labyrinth, King Minos suspe ...
. The statue inspired great admiration for his work at the annual art fair; Canova was paid for 100 gold zecchini for the completed work. 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. With such an intention, there is suggestion that Daedalus is a portrait of Canova's grandfather Pasino.


Rome

Canova arrived in Rome, on 28 December 1780. Prior to his departure, his friends had applied to the Venetian senate for a pension. Successful in the application, the stipend allotted amounted to three hundred ducats, limited to three years. While in Rome, Canova spent time studying and sketching the works of Michelangelo. In 1781,
Girolamo Zulian ''Cavaliere'' Girolamo Zulian (1730 – 1795) was a Venetian nobleman, ambassador, patron of the arts, art collector and '' Senatore Amplissimo''. A member of the House of Zulian, he is best known for his leading art collection and for being on ...
– the Venetian ambassador to Rome – hired Canova to sculpt ''Theseus and the Minotaur''. Zulian played a fundamental role in Canova's rise to fame, 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. The statue depicts the victorious Theseus seated on the lifeless body of a
Minotaur In Greek mythology, the Minotaur ( , ;. grc, ; in Latin as ''Minotaurus'' ) is a mythical creature portrayed during classical antiquity with the head and tail of a bull and the body of a man or, as described by Roman poet Ovid, a being "pa ...
. 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. The highly regarded work is now in the collection of the Victoria & Albert Museum, in London. Between 1783 and 1785, Canova arranged, composed, and designed a funerary monument dedicated to Clement XIV for the
Church of Santi Apostoli Santi Dodici Apostoli (Church of the Twelve Holy Apostles; la, SS. Duodecim Apostolorum), commonly known simply as Santi Apostoli, is a 6th-century Roman Catholic parish and titular church and minor basilica in Rome, Italy, dedicated originall ...
. After another two years, the work met completion in 1787. The monument secured Canova's reputation as the pre-eminent living artist. In 1792, he completed another cenotaph, this time commemorating Clement XIII for St. Peter's Basilica. Canova harmonized its design with the older Baroque funerary monuments in the basilica. In 1790, he began to work on a funerary monument for Titian, which was eventually abandoned by 1795. During the same year, he increased his activity as a painter. Canova was notoriously disinclined 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. The following decade was extremely productive, beginning works such as ''Hercules and Lichas'', ''Cupid and Psyche'', ''Hebe'', ''Tomb of Duchess Maria Christina of Saxony-Teschen'', and ''The Penitent Magdalene''. In 1797, he went to Vienna, but only a year later, in 1798, he returned to
Possagno Possagno is a comune in the Province of Treviso, in the Italian region Veneto. It is located about northwest of Venice and about northwest of Treviso. As of 31 August 2021, it had a population of 2,191 and an area of .All demographics and other ...
for a year.


France and England

By 1800, Canova was the most celebrated artist in Europe. He systematically promoted his reputation by publishing engravings of his works and having marble versions of plaster casts made in his workshop.Oskar Batschmann, The Artist in the Modern World: A Conflict Between Market and Self-Expression. DuMont Bunchverlag, 1997. Print. He became so successful that he had acquired patrons from across Europe including France, England, Russia, Poland, Austria and Holland, as well as several members from different royal lineages, and prominent individuals. Among his patrons were
Napoleon Napoleon Bonaparte ; it, Napoleone Bonaparte, ; co, Napulione Buonaparte. (born Napoleone Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French military commander and political leader who ...
and his family, for whom Canova produced much work, including several depictions between 1803 and 1809. The most notable representations were that of '' Napoleon as Mars the Peacemaker'', and ''
Venus Victrix Venus (), , is a Roman goddess, whose functions encompass love, beauty, desire, sex, fertility, prosperity, and victory. In Roman mythology, she was the ancestor of the Roman people through her son, Aeneas, who survived the fall of Troy and fle ...
'' 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. It was completed in 1806. In 1811, the statue arrived in Paris, but not installed; neither was its bronze copy in the Foro Napoleonico in Milan. In 1815, the original went to the Duke of Wellington, after his victory at
Waterloo Waterloo most commonly refers to: * Battle of Waterloo, a battle on 18 June 1815 in which Napoleon met his final defeat * Waterloo, Belgium, where the battle took place. Waterloo may also refer to: Other places Antarctica *King George Island (S ...
against Napoleon. ''
Venus Victrix Venus (), , is a Roman goddess, whose functions encompass love, beauty, desire, sex, fertility, prosperity, and victory. In Roman mythology, she was the ancestor of the Roman people through her son, Aeneas, who survived the fall of Troy and fle ...
'' was originally conceived as a robed and recumbent sculpture of
Pauline Borghese Paula Maria Bonaparte Leclerc Borghese (French language, French: ''Pauline Marie Bonaparte''; 20 October 1780 – 9 June 1825), better known as Pauline Bonaparte, was an imperial French princess, the first sovereign Duchess of Guastalla, and t ...
in the guise of Diana. Instead, Pauline ordered Canova to make the statue a nude Venus. The work was not intended for public viewing. Other works for the Napoleon family include, a bust of Napoleon, a statue of Napoleon's mother, and
Marie Louise Marie Louise or Marie-Louise may refer to: People *Marie Louise of Orléans (1662–1689), daughter of Philippe I, Duke of Orléans, queen consort of Charles II of Spain *Marie Louise of Hesse-Kassel (1688–1765), daughter of Charles I, Landgrave ...
as Concordia. 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. One of his activities in this capacity was to pioneer the restoration of the Appian Way by restoring the tomb of Servilius Quartus. In 1808 Canova became an associated member of the Royal Institute of the Netherlands. In 1814, he began his '' The Three Graces''. In 1815, he was named 'Minister Plenipotentiary of the Pope,' and was tasked with recovering various works of art that were taken to Paris by
Napoleon Napoleon Bonaparte ; it, Napoleone Bonaparte, ; co, Napulione Buonaparte. (born Napoleone Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French military commander and political leader who ...
. Also in 1815, he visited London, and met with
Benjamin Haydon Benjamin Robert Haydon (; 26 January 178622 June 1846) was a British painter who specialised in grand historical pictures, although he also painted a few contemporary subjects and portraits. His commercial success was damaged by his often tactles ...
. 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.


Returning to Italy

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, and given the title of Marquis of Ischia, alongside an annual pension of 3000 crowns. In 1819, he commenced and completed his commissioned work ''
Venus Italica The Venus Italica is a marble sculpture commissioned by Napoleon, Napoléon Bonaparte and fashioned by Italian sculptor Antonio Canova. Canova finished the original work in 1802 and modelled two further variants which he completed in 1819. The ...
'' as a replacement for the
Venus de' Medici The Venus de' Medici or Medici Venus is a tall Hellenistic marble sculpture depicting the Greek goddess of love Aphrodite. It is a 1st-century BC marble copy, perhaps made in Athens, of a bronze original Greek sculpture, following the type of th ...
. 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. This project came to be the Tempio Canoviano. Canova designed, financed, and partly built the structure himself. The structure was to be a testament to Canova's piety. The building's design was inspired by combining the Parthenon and the
Pantheon Pantheon may refer to: * Pantheon (religion), a set of gods belonging to a particular religion or tradition, and a temple or sacred building Arts and entertainment Comics *Pantheon (Marvel Comics), a fictional organization * ''Pantheon'' (Lone St ...
together. On 11 July 1819, Canova laid the foundation stone dressed in red Papal uniform and decorated with all his medals. It first opened in 1830, and was finally completed in 1836. 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. 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. In 1820, he made a statue of George Washington for the state of North Carolina. As recommended by Thomas Jefferson, the sculptor used the marble bust of Washington by
Giuseppe Ceracchi Giuseppe Ceracchi (also known as ''Giuseppe Cirachi'') (4 July 1751 – 30 January 1801) was an Italian sculptor, active in a Neoclassic style in Italy, England and the nascent United States, who was a passionate republican during the American a ...
as a model. It was delivered on 24 December 1821. The statue and the North Carolina State House where it was displayed were later destroyed by fire in 1831. A plaster replica was sent by the king of Italy in 1910, now on view at the North Carolina Museum of History. A marble copy was sculpted by Romano Vio in 1970, now on view in the rotunda of the capitol building. In 1822, he journeyed to Naples, to superintend the construction of wax moulds for an equestrian statue of Ferdinand 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. As he never married, the name became extinct, except through his stepbrothers' lineage of Satori-Canova. On 12 October 1822, Canova instructed his brother to use his entire estate to complete the Tempio in Possagno. On 25 October 1822, his body was placed in the Tempio Canoviano. 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. His memorial service was so grand that it rivaled the ceremony that the city of Florence held for Michelangelo in 1564. In 1826, Giovanni Battista Sartori sold Canova's Roman studio and took every plaster model and sculpture to Possagno, where they were installed in the Tempio Canoviano.


Works

Among Canova's most notable works are:


''Psyche Revived by Cupid's Kiss'' (1787)

'' Psyche Revived by Cupid's Kiss'' was commissioned in 1787 by Colonel John Campbell.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. 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 of Romanticism. It represents the god
Cupid In classical mythology, Cupid (Latin Cupīdō , meaning "passionate desire") is the god of desire, lust, erotic love, attraction and affection. He is often portrayed as the son of the love goddess Venus (mythology), Venus and the god of war Mar ...
in the height of love and tenderness, immediately after awakening the lifeless Psyche with a kiss.


''Napoleon as Mars the Peacemaker'' (1802–1806)

'' 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 1802, 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. It was completed in 1806. In 1811, the statue arrived in Paris, but not installed; neither was its bronze copy in the Foro Napoleonico in Milan. In 1815, the original went to the Duke of Wellington, after his victory at
Waterloo Waterloo most commonly refers to: * Battle of Waterloo, a battle on 18 June 1815 in which Napoleon met his final defeat * Waterloo, Belgium, where the battle took place. Waterloo may also refer to: Other places Antarctica *King George Island (S ...
against Napoleon.


''Perseus Triumphant'' (1804–1806)

''Perseus Triumphant'', sometimes called ''Perseus with the Head of Medusa'', was a statue commissioned by tribune Onorato Duveyriez. It depicts the Greek hero
Perseus In Greek mythology, Perseus (Help:IPA/English, /ˈpɜːrsiəs, -sjuːs/; Greek language, Greek: Περσεύς, Romanization of Greek, translit. Perseús) is the legendary founder of Mycenae and of the Perseid dynasty. He was, alongside Cadmus ...
after his victory over the Gorgon Medusa. The statue was based freely to the Apollo Belvedere and the Medusa Rondanini.
Napoleon Napoleon Bonaparte ; it, Napoleone Bonaparte, ; co, Napulione Buonaparte. (born Napoleone Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French military commander and political leader who ...
, after his 1796 Italian Campaign, took the Apollo Belvedere to Paris. In the statue's absence,
Pope Pius VII Pope Pius VII ( it, Pio VII; born Barnaba Niccolò Maria Luigi Chiaramonti; 14 August 1742 – 20 August 1823), was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 14 March 1800 to his death in August 1823. Chiaramonti was also a m ...
acquired Canova's ''Perseus Triumphant'' and placed the work upon the ''Apollos pedestal. The statue was so successful that when the ''Apollo'' was returned, ''Perseus'' remained as a companion piece. One replica of the statue was commissioned from Canova by the Polish countess
Waleria Tarnowska Waleria Tarnowska (December 9, 1782, – November 23, 1849) was a Polish patron of the arts and painter in her own right, known for miniatures, numerous portraits, religious paintings and drawings. Personal life Waleria Tarnowska was a daughter ...
; it's now displayed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City.
Karl Ludwig Fernow Karl Ludwig Fernow (19 November 1763 – 4 December 1808) was a German art critic and archaeologist. Early life Fernow was born in Pomerania, the son of a servant in the household of the lord of Blumenhagen. At the age of twelve he became cle ...
said 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."


''Venus Victrix'' (1805–1808)

''
Venus Victrix Venus (), , is a Roman goddess, whose functions encompass love, beauty, desire, sex, fertility, prosperity, and victory. In Roman mythology, she was the ancestor of the Roman people through her son, Aeneas, who survived the fall of Troy and fle ...
'' ranks among the most famous of Canova's works. Originally, Canova wished the depictation to be of a robed Diana, but
Pauline Borghese Paula Maria Bonaparte Leclerc Borghese (French language, French: ''Pauline Marie Bonaparte''; 20 October 1780 – 9 June 1825), better known as Pauline Bonaparte, was an imperial French princess, the first sovereign Duchess of Guastalla, and t ...
insisted to appear as a nude Venus. The work was not intended for public viewing.


''The Three Graces'' (1814–1817)

John Russell, the 6th Duke of Bedford, commissioned a version of the now famous work. 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
Empress Josephine An emperor (from la, imperator, via fro, empereor) is a monarch, and usually the sovereign ruler of an empire or another type of imperial realm. Empress, the female equivalent, may indicate an emperor's wife ( empress consort), mother (empr ...
. When the Empress died in May of the same year he immediately offered to purchase the completed piece, but was unsuccessful as Josephine's son Eugène claimed it (his son
Maximilian Maximilian, Maximillian or Maximiliaan (Maximilien in French) is a male given name. The name " Max" is considered a shortening of "Maximilian" as well as of several other names. List of people Monarchs *Maximilian I, Holy Roman Emperor (1459 ...
brought it to St. Petersburg, where it can now be found in the Hermitage 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 in Woburn Abbey. Canova even made the trip over to England to supervise its installation, choosing for it to be displayed on a pedestal adapted from a marble plinth with a rotating top. This version is now owned jointly by the Victoria and Albert Museum and the
National Galleries of Scotland National Galleries of Scotland ( gd, Gailearaidhean Nàiseanta na h-Alba) is the executive non-departmental public body that controls the three national galleries of Scotland and two partner galleries, forming one of the National Collections o ...
, and is alternately displayed at each.


Artistic process

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 of
Neoclassicism Neoclassicism (also spelled Neo-classicism) was a Western cultural movement in the decorative and visual arts, literature, theatre, music, and architecture that drew inspiration from the art and culture of classical antiquity. Neoclassicism was ...
. Canova's sculptures fall into three categories: Heroic compositions, compositions of grace, and sepulchral monuments. In each of these, Canova's underlying artistic motivations were to challenge, if not compete, with classical statues. Canova refused to take in pupils and students, 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". 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.Satish Padiyar, Chains: David, Canova, and the Fall of the Public Hero in Postrevolutionary France. Pennsylvania State University Press, 2007. These workers would leave a thin veil over the entire statue so Canova's could focus on the surface of the statue. While he worked, he had people read to him select literary and historical texts.


Last touch

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. As such, Canova would begin to finalize the statue with special tools by candlelight, to soften the transitions between the various parts of the nude. After a little recarving, he began to rub the statue down with pumice stone, sometimes for periods longer than weeks or months. If that was not enough, he would use tripoli (rottenstone) and lead. He then applied a now unknown chemical-composition of
patina Patina ( or ) is a thin layer that variously forms on the surface of copper, brass, bronze and similar metals and metal alloys (tarnish produced by oxidation or other chemical processes) or certain stones and wooden furniture (sheen produced b ...
onto the flesh of the figure to lighten the skin tone. Importantly, his friends also denied any usage of acids in his process.


Criticisms

Conversations revolving around the justification of art as superfluous usually invoked the name of Canova.
Karl Ludwig Fernow Karl Ludwig Fernow (19 November 1763 – 4 December 1808) was a German art critic and archaeologist. Early life Fernow was born in Pomerania, the son of a servant in the household of the lord of Blumenhagen. At the age of twelve he became cle ...
believed that Canova was not Kantian enough in his aesthetic, because emphasis seemed to have been placed on agreeableness rather than Beauty. Canova was faulted for creating works that were artificial in complexity.


Legacy

Although the Romantic period artists buried Canova's name soon after he died, he is slowly being rediscovered. 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". Canova spent large parts of his fortune helping young students and sending patrons to struggling sculptors, including Sir
Richard Westmacott Sir Richard Westmacott (15 July 17751 September 1856) was a British sculptor. Life and career Westmacott studied with his father, also named Richard Westmacott (the elder), Richard Westmacott, at his studio in Mount Street, off Grosvenor ...
and John Gibson. He was introduced into various orders of
chivalry Chivalry, or the chivalric code, is an informal and varying code of conduct developed in Europe between 1170 and 1220. It was associated with the medieval Christianity, Christian institution of knighthood; knights' and gentlemen's behaviours we ...
. A number of his works, sketches, and writings are collected in the ''Sala Canoviana'' of the
Museo Civico of Bassano del Grappa The Museo Civico di Bassano del Grappa is the town art and architecture museum located on Piazza Garibaldi #34 in Bassano del Grappa, in the Vicenza province of the region of the Veneto, in northern Italy. It is housed in a former Franciscan conven ...
. Other works, including plaster casts are the Museo Canoviano in Asolo. In 2018, a
crater Crater may refer to: Landforms *Impact crater, a depression caused by two celestial bodies impacting each other, such as a meteorite hitting a planet *Explosion crater, a hole formed in the ground produced by an explosion near or below the surfac ...
on
Mercury Mercury commonly refers to: * Mercury (planet), the nearest planet to the Sun * Mercury (element), a metallic chemical element with the symbol Hg * Mercury (mythology), a Roman god Mercury or The Mercury may also refer to: Companies * Merc ...
was named in his honor.


Literary inspirations

Two of Canova's works appear as engravings in ''Fisher's Drawing Room Scrap Book'', 1834, with poetical illustrations by Letitia Elizabeth Landon. These are of ''The Dancing Girl'' and ''Hebe''.


Commemorations

* Canova, South Dakota *Via Antonio Canova, in Treviso * Aeroporto di Treviso A. Canova * The
Museo Canova The Museo Canova is a museum established in 1833 at the birthplace of the Italian sculptor Antonio Canova (1757-1822) in Possagno in the province of Treviso in the Veneto, Italy. The museum is dedicated to the life and work of the sculptor and is ...
in Possagno * Tempio Canoviano, in Possagno


Gallery

File:Antonio Canova from the studio if Canova c.1813.jpg, Antonio Canova from the studio of Canova c. 1813 File:Amor-Psyche-Canova-JBU02.JPG, '' Psyche Revived by Cupid's Kiss'', 1787–1793, Louvre File:Amor-Psyche-Canova-JBU04.JPG, '' Psyche Revived by Cupid's Kiss'', 1787–1793, Louvre (detail) File:Venus Italica by Canova.jpg, Antonio Canova, Detail of ''Venus Italica'', 1804–1812, Galleria Palatina, Florence File:Antonio Canova Teseo defeats the centaur.jpg, ''Theseus Fighting the Centaur'' (1804–1819),
Kunsthistorisches Museum The Kunsthistorisches Museum ( "Museum of Art History", often referred to as the "Museum of Fine Arts") is an art museum in Vienna, Austria. Housed in its festive palatial building on the Vienna Ring Road, it is crowned with an octagonal do ...
, Vienna File:Antonio canova, danzatrice, ermitage, 01.JPG, ''Dancer'', 1811–1812,
The State Hermitage Museum The State Hermitage Museum ( rus, Государственный Эрмитаж, r=Gosudarstvennyj Ermitaž, p=ɡəsʊˈdarstvʲɪn(ː)ɨj ɪrmʲɪˈtaʂ, links=no) is a museum of art and culture in Saint Petersburg, Russia. It is the largest ...
File:Canova-Three Graces 0 degree view.jpg, '' The Three Graces'', 1814-1817, Hermitage File:Venus Italica MET DP108444.jpg, ''
Venus Italica The Venus Italica is a marble sculpture commissioned by Napoleon, Napoléon Bonaparte and fashioned by Italian sculptor Antonio Canova. Canova finished the original work in 1802 and modelled two further variants which he completed in 1819. The ...
'', c. 1822–23, Metropolitan Museum of Art File:Terpsichore by Antonio Canova.jpg, '' Terpsichore Lyran'' (Muse of Lyric Poetry) File:Perseus Canova Pio-Clementino Inv969.jpg, ''Perseus Triumphant'', Vatican File:Canova, maddalena penitente, 02.JPG, ''The Penitent Magdalene'',
Palazzo Doria-Tursi The palazzo Doria-Tursi or palazzo Niccolò Grimaldi is a building on Via Giuseppe Garibaldi in the historic town centre of Genoa. With Palazzo Rosso and Palazzo Bianco it houses the Strada Nuova Museums and on 13 July 2006 all three palaces and ...
, Genoa File:Napoleon-Canova-London JBU01.jpg, '' Napoleon as Mars the Peacemaker'', Apsley House London File:Paolina Borghese (Canova).jpg, Pauline Bonaparte as ''
Venus Victrix Venus (), , is a Roman goddess, whose functions encompass love, beauty, desire, sex, fertility, prosperity, and victory. In Roman mythology, she was the ancestor of the Roman people through her son, Aeneas, who survived the fall of Troy and fle ...
'', now at the Galleria Borghese File:Florence, Santa Croce, Antonio Canova, tomb of Vittorio Alfieri, 1810.jpg, Monumental tomb of Vittorio Alfieri, Santa Croce, Florence, 1810 File:Tomb Monument of Pius VI Gregorovius.jpg, Monument to Pius VI File:Tomb of Pope Clement XIII Gregorovius.jpg, Tomb of Clement XIII File:Tomb of Pope Clement XIV Gregorovius.jpg, Tomb of Clement XIV File:Frith, Francis (1822-1898) - n. 2340 - Tomb of Marie Christine by Canova - Vienna.jpg, Cenotaph to
Maria Christina of Austria Maria Christina Henriette Desideria Felicitas Raineria of Austria ( es, María Cristina de Habsburgo-Lorena; 21 July 1858 – 6 February 1929) was the second queen consort of Alfonso XII of Spain. She was queen regent during the vacancy of the ...
in the 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 of Austria Maria Christina Henriette Desideria Felicitas Raineria of Austria ( es, María Cristina de Habsburgo-Lorena; 21 July 1858 – 6 February 1929) was the second queen consort of Alfonso XII of Spain. She was queen regent during the vacancy of the ...
File:Basilica di Santa Maria dei Frari interno - Monumento di Canova.jpg, Monument to Canova in the Basilica di Santa Maria Gloriosa dei Frari, designed by Canova as a
mausoleum A mausoleum is an external free-standing building constructed as a monument enclosing the interment space or burial chamber of a deceased person or people. A mausoleum without the person's remains is called a cenotaph. A mausoleum may be consid ...
for the painter Titian File:Italy, Antonio Canova Medal by Putinati.jpg, Antonio Canova Medal by


Notes


References


Sources

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External links

*
Canova's ''Three Graces'' (second version)
in the Victoria and Albert Museum, London (2000). One of three Flickr photos by ketrin 1407.
Canova's ''Perseus and Medusa''
in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York (2009). Part of Flickr set by ketrin1407.
''Europe in the age of enlightenment and revolution''
a catalog from The Metropolitan Museum of Art Libraries (fully available online as PDF), which contains material on Canova (see index)
Canova's death mask at PrincetonCanova museum and plaster cast galleryCanova 2009 Exhibition in Forlì, Italy
{{DEFAULTSORT:Canova, Antonio 1757 births 1822 deaths People from the Province of Treviso 18th-century Italian sculptors Italian male sculptors 19th-century Italian sculptors Neoclassical sculptors Members of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences Artists of the Boston Public Library 19th-century male artists Burials at Santa Maria Gloriosa dei Frari