Tuesday, July 23, 2013

Antonio Canova: Tombs


Venetian sculptor Antonio Canova (1757-1822) is widely considered the greatest master of neoclassical sculpture. My introduction to him is here. The sense of calm that a neoclassical artist usually strove to achieve made this a wonderful style for tombs, and I like Canova's tombs best of all his works. Above, tomb of Pope Clement XIII.

Canova made preliminary casts in plaster of many works that were never completed; this is a cast of figures for a tomb of Vittorio Alfieri. Many more casts here.



Tomb of Duchess Maria Christina of Teschen.

Tomb of Pope Clement XIV.

Plaster cast of the central figure, 1783.

Sad lion, cast from a monument to Pope Leo XIII.

Monument to the last Stuarts, Rome.


Monument that Canova designed to honor Titian but that ended up holding his own heart.

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