Romantic sculptures by Antonio Canova (Italian,1757 - 1822)

The son of a stone-cutter, he spent his artistic apprenticeship first in Venice and then in Rome. It was here that he studied ancient sculpture and came into contact with artists and intellectuals who theorised a return to the classical style. Between 1783 and 1810 he created the funeral monuments for Clemente XIII and Clemente XIV in Rome, for Maria Cristina of Austria in Vienna and for Vittorio Alfieri in Florence. He attained international fame with his works on mythological subjects "Love and Psyche (Amore e Psiche)", "Venus and Adonis (Venere e Adone)", "The Three Graces (Le Tre Grazie)" and his famous statues of Napoleon in heroic nudity celebrated as "Marte Pacificatore" and of Paolina Borghese as "Venere Vincitrice".

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Pauline Borghese

By Antonio Canova