Antonio Canova

Antonio Canova (1757–1822) was an Italian Neoclassical sculptor celebrated for marble figures whose polished surfaces and idealized forms revived classical antiquity.

Psyche Revived by Cupid’s Kiss: A marble sculpture by Canova depicting Cupid embracing Psyche as she awakens. Its entwined figures and polished marble exemplify Canova’s transformation of myth into tender physical drama.
Modello: A small preliminary model used to develop the composition of a sculpture. Canova shaped compositions in clay before enlarging them for marble execution.
Venetian Republic: A maritime state centered on Venice that lasted from the late seventh century until 1797. Canova was born in the Venetian Republic and began his artistic training within its cultural world.
Pope Clement XIV: The head of the Catholic Church from 1769 to 1774, who commissioned Canova’s papal tomb. The monument to Clement XIV established Canova’s reputation in Rome.
Neoclassical sculpture: Sculpture shaped by renewed study of ancient Greek and Roman art and ideals. Canova’s fame made his work a defining reference point for this sculptural movement.
The Three Graces: A marble group by Canova showing the three mythological daughters of Zeus linked in an embrace. The interlocking figures reveal his control of rhythm, tactility, and idealized beauty.
Pointing machine: A measuring device that transfers reference points from a model to a block of stone. Assistants used pointing systems to reproduce Canova’s models at full scale in marble.
Giovanni Battista Torretti: An Italian sculptor and Canova’s early teacher and mentor. Torretti introduced the young Canova to sculpture in the Venetian workshop tradition.
Pope Pius VII: The head of the Catholic Church from 1800 to 1823 and a patron of Canova. Pius VII entrusted Canova with major commissions and diplomatic work involving recovered art.
Louvre: A museum in Paris that became a major repository of art collected by the French state. Canova negotiated the return of artworks taken from Italy to France during the Napoleonic era.

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