Antonio Canova (Italian pronunciation:[anˈtɔːnjokaˈnɔːva]; 1 November 1757 – 13 October 1822) was anItalianNeoclassical sculptor,[2][3] famous for hismarble sculptures. Often regarded as the greatest of the Neoclassical artists,[4] his sculpture was inspired by theBaroque and the classical revival, and has been characterised as having avoided themelodramatics of the former, and the cold artificiality of the latter.[5]
In 1757, Antonio Canova was born in theVenetian Republic city ofPossagno to Pietro Canova, a stonecutter, and Angela Zardo Fantolin.[6] In 1761, his father died. A year later, his mother remarried. In 1762, he was put into the care of his paternal grandfather Pasino Canova, who was astonemason, owner of aquarry,[5] and was a "sculptor who specialized in altars with statues and low reliefs in late Baroque style".[6] He led Antonio into the art of sculpting.
Before the age of ten, Canova began making models in clay, and carving marble.[7] Indeed, at the age of nine, he executed two small shrines ofCarrara marble that are still extant.[8] After these works, he appears to have been constantly employed under his grandfather.[8]
In 1770,[6] he was an apprentice for two years[7] toGiuseppe Bernardi, who was also known as 'Torretto'. Afterwards, he was under the tutelage ofGiovanni Ferrari until he began his studies at theAccademia di Belle Arti di Venezia.[6] At the academy, he won several prizes.[8] During this time, he was given his first workshop within a monastery by some local monks.[7]
The Senator Giovanni Falier commissioned Canova to produce statues ofOrpheus andEurydice for his garden – the Villa Falier atAsolo.[9] The statues were begun in 1775, and both were completed by 1777. The pieces exemplify the lateRococo style.[9][10] On the year of their completion, both works were exhibited for theFeast of the Ascension inPiazza San Marco.[5] Widely praised, the works won Canova his first renown among the Venetian elite.[6] Another Venetian who is said to have commissioned early works from Canova was the abateFilippo Farsetti, whose collection atCa' Farsetti on theGrand Canal he frequented.
In 1779, Canova opened his own studio at Calle Del Traghetto at S. Maurizio.[5] At this time,Procurator Pietro Vettor Pisani commissioned Canova's first marble statue: a depiction ofDaedalus andIcarus.[5] The statue inspired great admiration for his work at the annual art fair;[11] Canova was paid 100gold zecchini for the completed work.[5] At the base of the statue, Daedalus' tools are scattered about; these tools are also an allusion to Sculpture, of which the statue is a personification.[12] With such an intention, there is suggestion that Daedalus is a portrait of Canova's grandfather Pasino.[11]
Canova arrived inRome, on 28 December 1780. Prior to his departure, his friends had applied to theVenetian Senate for a pension. Successful in the application, the stipend allotted amounted to three hundred ducats, limited to three years.[8]
While in Rome, Canova spent time studying and sketching the works ofMichelangelo.[6]
In 1781,Girolamo Zulian – the Venetian ambassador to Rome – hired Canova to sculptTheseus and the Minotaur.[13] Zulian played a fundamental role in Canova's rise to fame,[14][15] turning some rooms of his palace into a studio for the artist and placing his trust in him despite Canova's early critics in Rome.[15] The statue depicts the victoriousTheseus seated on the lifeless body of aMinotaur. The initial spectators were certain that the work was a copy of a Greek original, and were shocked to learn it was a contemporary work.[16] The highly regarded work is now in the collection of theVictoria & Albert Museum, in London.[13]
Between 1783 and 1785, Canova arranged, composed, and designed a funerary monument dedicated toClement XIV for theChurch of Santi Apostoli.[7] After another two years, the work met completion in 1787. The monument secured Canova's reputation as the pre-eminent living artist.[8]
In 1792, he completed another cenotaph, this time commemoratingClement XIII forSt. Peter's Basilica. Canova harmonized its design with the older Baroque funerary monuments in the basilica.[17]
In 1790, he began to work on a funerary monument forTitian, which was eventually abandoned by 1795.[6] During the same year, he increased his activity as a painter.[5] Canova was notoriously disinclined[14] to restore sculptures. However, in 1794 he made an exception for his friend and early patron Zulian, restoring a few sculptures that Zulian had moved from Rome to Venice.[14]
The following decade was extremely productive,[8] beginning works such asHercules and Lichas,Cupid and Psyche,Hebe,Tomb ofDuchess Maria Christina of Saxony-Teschen, andThe Penitent Magdalene.[18]
By 1800, Canova was the most celebrated artist in Europe.[6] He systematically promoted his reputation by publishing engravings of his works and having marble versions of plaster casts made in his workshop.[20] He became so successful that he had acquired patrons from across Europe includingFrance,England,Russia,Austria andHolland, as well as several members from different royal lineages, and prominent individuals.[5] Among his patrons wereNapoleon and his family, for whom Canova produced much work, including several depictions between 1803 and 1809.[4] The most notable representations were that ofNapoleon as Mars the Peacemaker, andVenus Victrix which was portrayal ofPauline 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 toMars, theRoman god ofWar.[21] It was completed in 1806.[22] In 1811, the statue arrived in Paris, but not installed; neither was its bronze copy in the Foro Napoleonico in Milan.[21] In 1815, the original went tothe Duke of Wellington, after his victory atWaterloo 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
Venus Victrix was originally conceived as a robed and recumbent sculpture ofPauline Borghese in the guise ofDiana. Instead, Pauline ordered Canova to make the statue a nude Venus.[23] The work was not intended for public viewing.[23]
Other works for the Napoleon family include, a bust of Napoleon, a statue of Napoleon's mother, andMarie Louise asConcordia.[7]
In 1802, Canova was assigned the post of 'Inspector-General of Antiquities and Fine Art of the Papal State', a position formerly held byRaphael.[5] One of his activities in this capacity was to pioneer the restoration of theAppian Way by restoring the tomb of Servilius Quartus.[24] In 1808 Canova became an associated member of theRoyal Institute of Sciences, Literature and Fine Arts of theKingdom of Holland.[25]
In 1815, he was named 'Minister Plenipotentiary of the Pope,'[5] and was tasked by Pope Pius VII with recovering various works of art that were taken to Paris byNapoleon under the terms of theTreaty of Paris (1815).[8] At the Louvre, he faced resistance to restitution from DirectorVivant Denon and, due to the works' large size or unclear location, was forced to leave behind major pieces, such asPaolo Veronese's paintingThe Wedding at Cana.[26]
The works of Phidias are truly flesh and blood, like beautiful nature itself
Also in 1815, he visitedLondon, and met withBenjamin Haydon. It was after the advice of Canova that theElgin Marbles were acquired by the British Museum, with plaster copies sent toFlorence, according to Canova's request.[8]
In 1816, Canova returned to Rome with some of the art Napoleon had taken. He was rewarded with several marks of distinction: he was appointed President of theAccademia di San Luca, inscribed into the "Golden Book of Roman Nobles" by the Pope's own hands,[7] and given the title of Marquis ofIschia, alongside an annual pension of 3,000 crowns.[8]
After his 1814 proposal to build a personified statue of Religion forSt. Peter's Basilica was rejected, Canova sought to build his own temple to house it.[6] This project came to be theTempio Canoviano. Canova designed, financed, and partly built the structure himself.[5] The structure was to be a testament to Canova's piety.[20] The building's design was inspired by combining theParthenon and thePantheon together.[5][7] On 11 July 1819, Canova laid the foundation stone dressed in red Papal uniform and decorated with all his medals.[20] It first opened in 1830, and was finally completed in 1836.[20] After the foundation-stone of this edifice had been laid, Canova returned to Rome; but every succeeding autumn he continued to visit Possagno to direct the workmen and encourage them with rewards.[8]
During the period that intervened between commencing operations at Possagno and his death, he executed or finished some of his most striking works. Among these were the groupMars and Venus, the colossal figure ofPius VI, thePietà, theSt John, and a colossal bust of his friend, the CountLeopoldo Cicognara.[8]
In 1822, he journeyed to Naples, to superintend the construction of wax moulds for an equestrian statue ofFerdinand VII. The adventure was disastrous to his health, but soon became healthy enough to return to Rome. From there, he voyaged to Venice; however, on 13 October 1822, he died there at the age of 64.[8] As he never married, the name became extinct, except through his stepbrothers' lineage of Satori-Canova.[7]
On 12 October 1822, Canova instructed his brother to use his entire estate to complete the Tempio in Possagno.[20]
His memorial service was so grand that it rivaled the ceremony that the city of Florence held for Michelangelo in 1564.[20]
In 1826, Giovanni BattistaSartori sold Canova's Roman studio and took every plaster model and sculpture to Possagno, where they were installed in thegypsotheque of theTempio Canoviano.[20]
Commemorative plaque at the place of life and death of Antonio Canova, inRio Orseolo o del Corval
Psyche Revived by Cupid's Kiss was commissioned in 1787 byColonel John Campbell.[30] It is regarded as a masterpiece of Neoclassical sculpture, but shows the mythological lovers at a moment of great emotion, characteristic of the emerging movement ofRomanticism. It represents the godCupid in the height of love and tenderness, immediately after awakening the lifelessPsyche with a kiss.
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 toMars, theRoman god ofWar.[21] It was completed in 1806.[22] In 1811, the statue arrived in Paris, but not installed; neither was its bronze copy in the Foro Napoleonico in Milan.[21] In 1815, the original went tothe Duke of Wellington, after his victory atWaterloo against Napoleon[22] and is on display atApsley House.
Perseus Triumphant, sometimes calledPerseus with the Head of Medusa, was a statue commissioned by tribune Onorato Duveyriez.[31] It depicts the Greek heroPerseus after his victory over theGorgonMedusa.
Napoleon, after his1796 Italian Campaign, took theApollo Belvedere to Paris. In the statue's absence,Pope Pius VII acquired Canova'sPerseus Triumphant and placed the work upon theApollo's pedestal.[33] The statue was so successful that when theApollo was returned,Perseus remained as a companion piece.[34]
Karl Ludwig Fernow 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."[36]
Venus Victrix ranks among the most famous of Canova's works. Originally, Canova wished the depiction to be of a robedDiana, butPauline Borghese insisted to appear as a nude Venus.[23] The work was not intended for public viewing.[23]
John Russell, the 6th Duke of Bedford, commissioned a version of the now famous work.[37] He had previously visited Canova in his studio in Rome in 1814 and had been immensely impressed by a carving of the Graces the sculptor had made for the EmpressJoséphine. When the Empress died in May of the same year he immediately offered to purchase the completed piece, but was unsuccessful as Josephine's sonEugène de Beauharnais claimed it (his sonMaximilian, Duke of Leuchtenberg brought it toSt. Petersburg, where it can now be found in theHermitage Museum). Undeterred, the Duke commissioned another version for himself.
The sculpting process began in 1814 and was completed in 1817. Finally in 1819 it was installed at the Duke's residence inWoburn Abbey. Canova even made the trip over to England to supervise its installation, choosing for it to be displayed on apedestal adapted from a marbleplinth with a rotating top. This version is now owned jointly by theVictoria and Albert Museum and theNational Galleries of Scotland, and is alternately displayed at each.
Canova had a distinct, signature style in which he combined Greek and Roman art practices with early stirrings of romanticism to delve into a new path ofNeoclassicism.[38] Canova's sculptures fall into three categories: Heroic compositions, compositions of grace, and sepulchral monuments.[8] In each of these, Canova's underlying artistic motivations were to challenge, if not compete, with classical statues.[5]
Canova refused to take in pupils and students,[6] but would hire workers to carve the initial figure from the marble. According to art historian Giuseppe Pavanello, "Canova's system of work concentrated on the initial idea, and on the final carving of the marble".[6] He had an elaborate system of comparative pointing so that the workers were able to reproduce the plaster form in the selected block of marble.[36] These workers would leave a thin veil over the entire statue so Canova's could focus on the surface of the statue.[36]
While he worked, he had people read to him select literary and historical texts.[6]
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
During the last quarter of the eighteenth century, it became fashionable to view art galleries at night by torchlight. Canova was an artist that leapt on the fad and displayed his works of art in his studio by candlelight.[20] As such, Canova would begin to finalize the statue with special tools by candlelight,[6] to soften the transitions between the various parts of the nude.[36] After a little recarving, he began to rub the statue down with pumice stone, sometimes for periods longer than weeks or months.[36] If that was not enough, he would usetripoli (rottenstone) andlead.[36]
He then applied a now unknown chemical-composition ofpatina onto the flesh of the figure to lighten the skin tone.[6] Importantly, his friends also denied any usage of acids in his process.[7]
Although theRomantic period artists buried Canova's name soon after he died, he is slowly being rediscovered.[6] Giuseppe Pavanello wrote in 1996 that "the importance and value of Canova's art is now recognized as holding in balance the last echo of the Ancients and the first symptom of the restless experimentation of the modern age".[6]
Canova spent large parts of his fortune helping young students and sending patrons to struggling sculptors,[19] including SirRichard Westmacott andJohn Gibson.[39][40]
He was introduced into various orders ofchivalry.[7]
A number of his works, sketches, and writings are collected in theSala Canoviana of theMuseo Civico of Bassano del Grappa. Other works, including plaster casts are the Museo Canoviano in Asolo.
Two of Canova's works appear as engravings inFisher's Drawing Room Scrap Book, 1834, with poetical illustrations byLetitia Elizabeth Landon. These are ofThe Dancing Girl[42] andHebe.[43]
^The Glory of Venice: Art in the Eighteenth Century states (p. 441) that Canova left Venice when it fell, tried to escape to America and then went to Possagno. The fall of Venice was in 1797. There appears to be some gap in knowledge that would correct or amend these accounts. The first reference to Vienna is an online source, the second is theEncyclopædia Britannica, 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.
^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.
^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.
^Christopher M. S. Johns,Antonia Canova and the Politics of Patronage in Revolutionary and Napoleonic Europe. University of California Press, 1998. Web. – p. 25
^abcdefghSatish Padiyar, Chains: David, Canova, and the Fall of the Public Hero in Postrevolutionary France. Pennsylvania State University Press, 2007.
^The Three Graces. Victoria & Albert Museum, 2013. Retrieved 2 May 2013.
^Leshko J, Davis J (2000).The Smith College Museum of Art: European and American Painting and Sculpture, 1760-1960. United States: Hudson Hill Press. p. 22.ISBN9781555951948.
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