Canova

Antonio Canova (1757–1822) was an Italian sculptor who became one of the central figures of European Neoclassicism. Born in Possagno, in the Republic of Venice, he trained locally with his father and later studied in Venice and Rome, where he built an international reputation by the late 18th century and attracted prominent patrons.

Canova’s sculptures are celebrated for their classical simplicity, refined finish, and restrained emotional expression. He favored clear, balanced forms, harmonious composition, and skilled marble carving that mimicked the softness of flesh. His subjects ranged from mythological scenes to dignified portraits, often merging antiquity with contemporary sensibility.

Among his best-known works is Cupid and Psyche (1787–1793), admired for its delicate movement and nuanced emotion. Another celebrated piece is Pauline Bonaparte as Venus Victrix, a full-length portrait that demonstrates Canova’s ability to fuse realism with mythic idealization. His output includes numerous busts, reliefs, and public monuments and tombs, produced for patrons across Italy and beyond.

Canova’s influence extended well beyond his lifetime. He ran a productive workshop that trained generations of sculptors and helped define the Neoclassical aesthetic. Today his legacy is preserved in the Gipsoteca Canoviana, a plaster-cast collection in Possagno, and his works are housed in major museums worldwide, including the Louvre and the Hermitage. He died in 1822, leaving a lasting impact on European sculpture.