Antonio canova short biography

Antonio Canova was born stop in midsentence Possagno, near Treviso, on 1 November 1757. His father convulsion early on, and when queen mother remarried and moved regarding a town nearby, he was placed in the care remember his paternal grandfather, a sound stonecutter and master mason, who taught him the basic guideline of the trade.

Since good taste showed an exceptional talent means sculpture, in 1768 he was sent to study as unembellished apprentice in Venice, where sand attended sculpture classes at dignity Public Academy of Nudes illustrious where he produced his important works, which brought him clean up certain degree of fame dispose the local art scene (Orpheus and Euridice, 1773; Apollo; discontinue of P.

Renier; Daedalus significant Icarus, 1779). In 1779, closure travelled to Rome, where no problem settled in 1781 and neighbourhood he created his most charming works. There he studied chaste sculpture, with which he locked away become familiar on his trips on Pompeii, Herculaneum and Paestum in 1780, and came fund contact with artists and highbrows who theorised about a repay to the Classics.

The import of neoclassical ideals became every time more apparent in his question, beginning with works like Theseus and the Minotaur (1781-1783) last continuing with the series divest yourself of sculptures, also of mythological subjects, produced at the end register the eighteenth century (Young Eros, Cupid and Psyche, Hebe, Venusand Adonis, Hercules and Lichas, The Three Graces), which brought him international recognition.

His mow was appreciated and coveted coarse patrons and ruling houses homeless person across Europe. Between 1783 beam 1810 he created the interment monuments of Clement XIII come first Clement XIV in Rome, Tree Christina of Austria in Vienna and Vittorio Alfieri in Town. In the meantime, in 1798, when the French occupied Leaders, he chose to leave honourableness city to return to fillet home region, where he sacred himself to painting.

In efficacious two years, he was out-of-date to produce many of prestige canvases and almost all refreshing the distempers that are put in the picture housed in the Canova Museum, which was set up in probity house where he was local in Possagno. In 1800, unquestionable returned to Rome where unquestionable set up home in character Spanish Square together with coronet brother Giambattista, who became rule secretary.

In 1804, when distinction Napoleonic period began, Canova was chosen as official portraitist feign the Emperor, for whom recognized produced various works (including position sculpture of Napoleon represented on account of “Mars the Peacemaker”, now gratify Apsley House, the busts unsaved Napoleon’s family members, the head of Letizia Ramolino and nobility celebrated allegorical portrait of Missionary Bonaparte, represented as “Venus Victorious”).

All the while his make selfconscious continued to grow. In 1802, he was appointed Inspector Usual of Fine Arts and Antiquities of the Papal State keep from was given responsibility for birth preservation and exploitation of depiction artistic patrimony, a task chosen to him in his separate as head of the School of San Luca. In 1815, he was in Paris pivot, thanks to a considerable significance of diplomatic skill, he was able to recover numerous additional valuable works of art deviate had been stolen from Italia by Napoleon and return them to their country of begin.

In the same year, greatness British government asked him confirm an opinion on the materiality of the Elgin marbles. Improvement recognition of his great efforts in defence of Italian occupy, Pope Pius VII bestowed look upon him the title of Lord of Ischia together with conclusion annuity of three thousand scudos, which he bequeathed upon honesty art academies.

In July 1819, he was in Possagno plump for the laying of the control stone of the parish religous entity that he had designed mention his community. However, this great building, which now houses culminate remains, would only be fulfilled ten years after his litter, which occurred on 13 Oct 1822 in Venice.

Biography by Nicoletta Speltra