26 



CAN07A. 



in Naples ; the tomb of the Venetian admiral Kino, 

 for the republic of Venice. This is a combination of 

 batto^relievos , with figures in full relief. Canova also 

 made a very lovely Psyche, standing, half-dressed, 

 with a butterfly in her left hand, which she holds by 

 the wings with her right, and contemplates with a 

 calm, siriling mien. He also modelled, at this time, 

 many ba*so*relievos, mostly scenes from the life of 

 Socrates, Uiken from ancient fable and history, which 

 cannot all be called successful. Only one of these 

 models, which represents the city of Padua as a sitting 

 female figure, he executed in marble. A repentant 

 Magdalen, of the natural size, belongs to the works 

 in marble, in which he lias carried the expression of 

 the melting and the soft to the highest degree. The 

 relaxing effect of repentance is expressed with great 

 truth. His Hebe is a delightful figure. In an easy 

 and animated attitude, the smiling goddess of youth 

 hovers upon a cloud, pouring nectar, with her right 

 liand, into a bowl, which she holds in her left. Both 

 vessels, as well as the coronet of Hebe, and the edges 

 f her garment, are gilt. Canova is fond of a variety 

 of material, and often endeavours to give to his statues 

 the effect of pictures. He repeated this and the pre- 

 ceding statue. He next displayed his talent for the 

 tragical, in the raging Hercules hurling Liclias into 

 the sea. The group is colossal, and Hercules some- 

 wliat larger tlian the Farnesian ; but it makes a dis- 

 agreeable impression, which proves that the genius of 

 Canova was not adapted to such subjects. His repre- 

 sentation of the two pugilists, Kreugas and Demoxe- 

 nos, is much more successful. A standing group of 

 Cupid and Psyche, which has been often repeated, 

 was the triumph of his art. Psyche here appears 

 again holding the butterfly. A Palamedes, subse- 

 quently executed by Canova, in marble, was over- 

 thrown, in the winter of 1805, by an inundation, and 

 broken in pieces. In 1796 and 1797, Canova finished 

 the model of the celebrated tomb of the late arch- 

 duchess Christina of Austria, wife of duke Albert of 

 Saxe-Teschen, which, in 1805, was placed in the 

 church of the Augustines at Vienna. The design of 

 it is original ; for the first time, the great artist ven- 

 tured to leave the common track. In 1797, he made 

 the colossal model of a statue of the king of Naples, 

 one of his finest works. In the beginning of the 

 revolution, the studio of Canova was in great danger 

 from the Jacobins ; but the lovely Psyches, Hebes, 

 and Cupids, softened the rage of the mob, and saved 

 the work-shop of the artist, in the back part of which 

 the royal colossus was concealed. This statue, 15 

 palms high, was executed in marble, in 1803. Dur- 

 ing tht) revolution of 1798 and 1799, Canova accom- 

 panied the senator prince Rezzonico on a journey 

 through Germany. After his return, he remained for 

 some time in the Venetian territory, and painted, for 

 the church of his native village, Possagno, an altar- 

 piece, in which are represented the dead Christ, the 

 Maries, Nicodemus, and Joseph, and, on high, God 

 the Father. He afterwards executed, in Rome, his 

 Perseus with the head of Medusa, which, when the 

 Apollo of Belvidere was carried to France, occupied 

 its place and pedestal. This statue increased the 

 fame of Canova more than any of the preceding works. 

 But Perseus has no decided character. It is only an 

 imitation of the Apollo. The separate parts are of 

 exquisite beauty in form, as well as in masterly, de- 

 Ikate finishing. The magical charm of the finish 

 dazzles the eye, and makes us often forget the more 

 severe forms of the art. Far less successful is the 

 Mars pacifer, of equal size. In 1802, Canova was 

 made, by Pius VII., superintendent of the Roman 

 works of art, and knight of the Golden Spur. In the 

 same year, he was invited by Bonaparte to Paris, to 

 make the model of his colossal statue In the begin- 



ning of 1803, the model of the emperor's bust, and 

 afterwards that of his colossal statue, was to be seen 

 in the workshop of the arti-t. It is impossible to 

 conceive a more characteristic likeness, exhibiting, 

 at the same time, the ideal character of the ancient 

 heroic style. We have not a more successful work 

 of the kind than this bust : the figure of the statue is 

 not so good. George IV. presented the latter to the 

 duke of Wellington. The statue of madame Laetitia 

 Bonaparte was purchased, in 1819, in Paris, by the 

 duke of Devonshire, for 36,000 francs. Among the 

 later works of the artist are a Washington, of colossal 

 size, in a sitting attitude, now in the state-house at 

 Raleigh, the seat of government of North Caro- 

 lina ; the tombs of the cardinal of York and of Pius 

 VII. ; the busts of Pius VII. and of Francis II. ; an 

 imitation of the Medicean Venus; a Venus rising 

 from the bath ; a portrait statue, lying, half-dressed, 

 upon a couch ; the tomb of the late engraver Volpato; 

 the colossal group of Theseus killing the Minotaur, 

 far surpassing his earlier works in the heroic style; 

 the tomb of. Alfieri, for the countess of Stolberg, in 

 Florence, and erected in that place (the weeping 

 Italia, a colossal statue in marble, is particularly ad- 

 mired) ; the Graces rising from the bath ; the monu- 

 ment of the marchioness of S. Croce ; a colossal 

 basso-relievo, in marble ; a Venus ; a dancing girl, 

 with almost transparent garments ; the portrait sta- 

 tue of the wife of Lucien Bonaparte, with the lyre in 

 her arms ; a large marble statue, with beautiful dra- 

 pery; a colossal Hector; a Paris; a Muse, larger 

 than the natural size ; a model of a colossal Ajax ; 

 and the model of a sitting statue, in rich robes, of 

 the archduchess Maria Louisa of Austria. After the 

 second fall of Napoleon, in 1815, Canova was com- 

 missioned, by the pope, to demand the restoration of 

 the works of art carried from Rome; went from 

 Paris to London, and returned to Rome in 1816, 

 where Pius VII. inscribed his name in the golden 

 book of the capital, declared him " to have deserved 

 well of the city of Rome," and made him marquis of 

 Ischia, with a pension of 3000 scudi. Canova died 

 at Venice, Oct. 13, 1822. 



In his manner of treating the marble, a particular 

 endeavour to produce the appearance of the greatest 

 softness is visible. Not satisfied with giving to the 

 surface of the marble the most delicate finish, by 

 means of the rasp and the pumice-stone, he has in- 

 vented a corrosive colour, of a yellowish hue, and 

 prepared with soot, which he applies, after the last 

 polish, in order to break the dazzling white of the 

 marble, and to give it the soft, mellow appearance of 

 ivory or wax. This excessive refinement in finishing 

 is more attractive to amateurs than to true connois- 

 seurs. Canova used to make his models first of a 

 small size, in wax, then in clay, of the same size as 

 the work was to be. From this last a cast was taken 

 hi gypsum. The first shaping of the marble from 

 the cast he left to skilful workmen. 



As a man, Canova was respectable and amiable. 

 He was active, open, mild, obliging, and kind to- 

 wards everybody. He had neither the pride nor the 

 envy of an artist. His opinion of himself was very 

 modest, notwithstanding his fame was spread through 

 all Europe. He was not only disinterested, but ani- 

 mated by the noblest benevolence. He assisted pro- 

 mising young artists, and established prizes for the 

 encouragement of the. arts. When the pope confer- 

 red upon him the title of marquis of Ischia, with an 

 estate producing 3000 piastres of- rent, he dedicated 

 the whole of it to the support and encouragement of 

 poor and deserving artists. In short, his moral cha- 

 racter was so excellent, that, even among his many 

 rivals, there is but one voice respecting his worth us 

 a man. His last work was a large group, the prin- 



