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Antonio Canova (November 1, 1757 - October 13, 1822) was an Italian sculptor who became famous for his marble sculptures that rendered delicately nude flesh.
He was born in Possagno, Italy. His family had for generations been stone cutters, and he learned to cut marble at a very early age. When only twelve years old he modeled a lion in butter, that was so liked by Signor Falieri that he sent him to be taught by Torretti, the most noted sculptor of the time.
He studied ancient art and made many statues of classical subjects, as well as many monuments, busts and statues of living people, among them Napoleon and George Washington.
The large fortune which he made was mostly spent in helping the poor, or in assisting other artists.
He was made a nobleman and received many honors.
He died in Venice at age sixty-five and was buried in the town he was born. His death was heard with extreme regret in Europe, and indeed in all parts of the globe where his works were known.
Works
Canova, while living, was thought to be the first sculptor of the age, and his works are still greatly admired—for their exquisite finishing, and for their near resemblance to real life. They are certainly very attractive, and may be contemplated a considerable time with delight; but they never impose upon the beholder, and never raise in his mind any of those sublime ideas which he invariably experiences while contemplating the works of the ancients, or the modern productions of Michael Angelo Buonarotti. Canova, in fact, though he possessed the grace, the elegance, and the liveliness of the greatest masters of Italy, could never surmount a certain degree of littleness, which failure predominates in most of his works. The calm, tranquil, and dignified pathos of Leonardo di Vinci cannot be traced in Canova's countenances, which rather approach to those represented by Charles le Brun, Eustache le Seur, and other French artists. Though his men were generally deficient in dignity, the faces of his females were always pleasing, notwithstanding
- "The sleepy eye, that spoke the melting soul,"
peculiar to most Italian women, is never found in his productions. It does not appear likely that Canova, although his present admirers are very numerous, will be greatly idolized by posterity. Indeed, if we may be allowed to predict, his name, unlike that of his countryman, Buonarotti, will sink into oblivion. He, however, enjoyed a high reputation as an artist while he lived, and his sculpture is now eagerly sought for by the lovers of the fine arts, both in Great Britain, and on the continent.
Some works by Canova
Canova often executed more than one copy of a successful sculpture; there are for example two copies of The Three Graces and two of Cupid and Psyche.
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