44 
. 
present degree of exaltation. David has 
founded a new school of painting, the 
spirit and the styie of which are spread- 
ing with astonishing rapidity ; and Cano- 
va has opened a new career in the art of 
sculpture, which he continues to pursue 
with a success proportioned to his merits. 
. these two artists, by adopting a taste 
and style totally different, have equally 
departed from the principles of those 
who preceded theni, either in Italy or 
in France; and the originality which each 
has displayed, has every where found 
numerous admirers. These new. flights 
of art have had the happy effect of in- 
creasing the number of those by whom it 
is cultivated, and of exciting their emula- 
tion; and to judge from its rapid ard 
Steady progress at the present day, there 
is every reason to expect that in a short 
time it will arrive at an epoch perhaps 
equally brilliant with any of the past. ~ 
This progress of the art is particularly 
remarkable in sculpture. When towards 
the conclusion of the first half of the 
eighteenth century, the pupils of Ber- 
nini had, in a manner, exhausted them- 
selves to people the churclies with saints, 
apostles, and mausoleums, the art fell 
into such a state of imbecility and neglect, 
that during the twenty years preceding 
Canova, not a single work in sculpture, 
worth mentioning, made its appearande. 
Cavaceppe, the only sculptor of that 
time who had any reputation, almost en- 
tirely employed himself in repairing cer- 
tain mutilated statues in the museums of 
Rome, and in the collection which con- 
stituted his stock in trade. Winkelmann 
revived a taste for the beautiful models 
of antiquity, among the noble and opu- 
Tent in Italy, and other countries. The 
wretched productions of the time began 
to be despised; the works of the Aca- 
demy of St. Luke were considered of no 
value, and the blind enthusiasm in favour 
of Bernmi, which had lasted nearly a 
cemtury, at length became as cold as the 
works which had inspied it. The mas- 
ter-pieces of antiquity, restored to their 
original dignity by Mengs and Winkel- 
mann, began to purify the public taste 
of the extravagant ideas by which it had 
been degraded. 
While sculpture was in this state of 
siumber, that is, till 1¢ began to leave ge- 
wlus. a free career, trom 1760 to 1780, 
not ouesingle performance that occasion- 
ed any Sensation was executed by the ar- 
tists of Rome; and the tomb of Bene- 
dict XIV. by Pietro Bracci, was the last 
Account of the Life and W, orks of Canova. 
[Aug. 1, 
monument produced by bad taste im the . 
works destined for the church. 
Thus prejudices were dissipated, the 
mind was prepared to admire works 
more conformable to the principles of | 
good taste. Expectation looked rorward 
for the resplendent genius that was to 
create them; and Canova appeared under 
such circumstances that he seemed des- 
tined to accomplish the wishes of the 
admirers of the beautiful productions of 
art. 
After the death of Trippel, who had 
raised himself to celebrity at Rome, al-. 
most at the same tiine as Canova, the lat- 
ter long occupied the first place among 
sculptors, without any competitor. Trip- 
pel died in 1793, after having courage- 
ously struggled against the obstacles. 
which fortune every where opposed to. 
him. The justness of his taste, which he 
had formed by the study, of the ancients, 
encouraged the fairest hopes of future ex-= 
cellence. His death was a loss to the 
art; and if Canova had no oceasion for 
arival to stimulate his activity, Trippel 
could not injure a reputation to which 
the tormer would ever have preserved an 
undeniable claim. | kee 
Two years after Canova had estab- 
lished his reputation in Italy and foreign 
countries by a multitude of works of 
merit, Thorwaldsen, a sculptor of Co- 
penhagen, aspired also to run the career 
of glory, and announced himself by a 
work which excited the attention and ad- 
miration of all the connoisseurs, and even 
of the first artists of his time. His Jason 
will always be considered as a valuable 
performance. 
If the productions of artists whose ac- 
tivity and talents Canova has stimulated, 
have not been able to shake his reputa- . 
tion, several of them have at least endea~ 
voured to deserve an equal portion of 
fame. 
As long as Canova had no rivals, his 
admirers ranked him only among the first 
artists of antiquity and of modern times; 
and if the works of that sculptor gained, 
in some measure, the affection of a!l those 
who beheld them, by charms which are 
peculiar to themselves, the character of’ 
their author no less contributed to che- 
rish these favourable sentiments. Poste- 
rity will perhaps scrutinize tliese same 
works with more severity; the praises, 
in many instances, too extravagant, which 
have been lavished upon them, may 
serve to point the shafts of criticism; but 
it can never extinguish their real beau~ 
| Bies, 
