Antonio Canova (Italian Sculptor)
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Antonio Canova (Italian Sculptor)
His early life
Antonio Canova, often regarded as the best marble sculpture, was an Italian neoclassical sculptor famous for his works, which were inspired the classical revivals and the Baroque. Antonio Canova was born in 1757 in Passage, a city in the Venetian republic. His parents were Maria Angela Zardo Fantolni, his mother and Pietro Canova, a stonecutter. Sadly, his father died in 1761, and his mother remarried later, forcing his grandfather to adopt him. His grandfather, Pasino, was a professional stonemason and had managed to acquire a quarry in the local area (Johns, 1998). He also specialized in the art of making altars and low reliefs using the Baroque style. Due to Canova’s interaction with his grandfather, he slowly began learning the art of sculpturing. At the age of ten, his skills were excellent since he had started making clay models and marble carvings. His grandfather noticed his talent and employed him in his workshop.
Teenage years
In 1770 Giuseppe Bernardi employed him as his apprentice for two years, after which he worked under Giovanni Ferrari. After gaining experience from the two sculptors, he joined the Accademia mia di Belle Arti di Venezia where he further shared his skills. At the school, he won many prices and was given his first workshop by local monks from the monastery. In 1775, Senator Giovanni tasked Canova with producing two statuses: Eurydice and Orpheus in Villa Falier garden. The artwork was completed in 1777, and it represented the senator’s lifestyle. The sculpture was presented in the Feast of the Ascension, and his works were highly praised. His works became famous, and he earned many awards, making him contracts from Filippo Farsetti.
Antonio Canova’s artistic career
In 1780 Canova arrived in Rome, where he spent most of his time studying the works of Michelangelo and improving his skills. The following year, the Venetian ambassador to Rome, Girolamo Zulian, appointed Canova to sculpt the Theseus and Minotaur. The art was an image of Theseus sitting on Minotaur’s body (Torrigiani et al., 1997). Although many spectators thought it was a copy of the Greek original work, they were surprised to find it was contemporary work. The following years brought more success in his career since he composed, arranged, and designed monuments of Clement XIV from the Church of Santi Apostoli. The pillars took two years to be completed, and the monuments gave Canova the title of the Pre-eminent living artist. Some of his best arts are currently located in the Victoria and Albert Museum found in London. Two years later, he worked on a funerary monument for Clement XIII of St Peter’s Basilica. In his works, it was evident that he continued to use the Baroque style that he learned from his grandfather. In 1790 he increased his painting activities and worked on a monument for titian, which was later abandoned. The decade that followed `was very productive with the creation of sculpture such as the Hercules and Lichas, The Penitent Magdalene, and the Cupid and Psyche. He returned to Possagno in 1798 after traveling in Vienna for two years for prominent people and royals. At the beginning of the 19the century, Canova became a significant figure across Europe by creating plaster casts made of marble in his workshop. His reputation grew and acquired many patrons across Europe in countries such as Poland, France, Holland, and Russia.
He also gained the attention of prominent individuals and different royal lineages. One of the families that he worked with for an extended period was the Napoleon family. Between 1803 and 1809, he produced several depictions, including the Venus Victrix, Napoleon as the Peacemaker, and the portrayal of Pauline Bonaparte. The Napoleon as Mars the Peacemaker commenced in 1803 after Canova refused to make a sculpture of Napoleon in a French General’s uniform. Canova insisted it was better to have an allusion of the Roman god of war, which he began and completed in 1806. The statue was transported to Paris, but it was never installed. However, the original copy landed in the hands of the Duke of Wellington after winning a contest against the great Napoleon. Other works with the Napoleon family include Marie Louise and a statue of napoleon mother. He was appointed ‘inspector-general of Antiquities and Fine Art of the Papal State,’ replacing Raphael with his continued production of quality art. Canova is also credited for pioneering the restoration of the Servilius Quartus through the Appian Way. In 1808 he was awarded a position as a member of the Royal Institute of the Netherlands. In 1814, he created another renowned masterpiece, the Three Graces. He visited London in 1815, where he met with Benjamin Haydon. Canova advised him to include the Eglin marbles in the British Museum and include the copies sent to France.
One of his famous paintings was the Amore e Psiche also known as the Psyche Revived by Cupid’s Kiss. The sculpture was commissioned by Colonel John Campbell in 1787 and is regarded as one of the most significant neoclassical sculptures. The statue represents a great act of love and romanticism, and it shows god CupidCupid kissing Psyche’s lifeless body after awakening her. The love story of the two gods was from the Latin novel The Golden Ass. Having just awakened, Psyche reaches to his lover and kisses her while supporting her breasts and head. Antonia’s skills of carving marble sculptures enabled him to create a contrast between the skin a the floor of the statue. He used fine lines for the hair and created a feathery wing for Cupid’s landing. Stories tell that Venus had warned by Psyche not to open a jar of beauty that she had sent her from Proserpina. In her journey, she became curious and opened the jar, thinking she could get all the divine grace. To her surprise, the jar was full of darkness and evil that filled her body, and she fell unconscious. At that moment, Psyche came to revive her, and Canova decides to duplicate this moment.
In 1816 Canova returned home after his trip across Europe, creating master class sculptures for people and churches. He was awarded by receiving an honor from the pope in person and become the president of the Accademia di San Luca. To honor himself, he made a sculpture of himself and financed the whole design and participated in manual labor. He continued to make many sculptures across the world with recommendations from renowned world leaders. Unfortunately, he passes away on 13 October 1822, and the body was buried in the Temple Canoviano. He was 64 years old, and his memorial was a grand ceremony attended by people from all lifestyles.
Reference
Johns, C. M. (1998). Antonio Canova and the politics of patronage in revolutionary and Napoleonic Europe. Univ of California Press.
Torrigiani, P., Rabiti, A. L., Bortolotti, C., Betti, L., Marani, F., Canova, A., & Bagni, N. (1997). Polyamine synthesis and accumulation in the hypersensitive response to TMV in the Nicotiana tabacum. The New Phytologist, 135(3), 467-473.