Biography

Antonio Canova bas born on November 1^st, 1757, in Possagno, a town near Treviso in the North of Italy. His father Pietro died at the age of twenty-six when Canova wasn’t even four-years old. His mother, Angela Zardo, not long after her late husband’s death, married Franceso Sartori and left Canova to live with his paternal grandfather, Pasino Canova.

The latter was a skilled stonemason and by bringing him along to his work, taught his grandchild all the tricks of the trade.

According to a legend that dates to the Romantic age, Pasino faced some economic problems and was forced to put Canova to work as an assistant cook at nobles Falier’s villa in Asolo. It was here that he showcased his sculptural abilities for the first time, he was able to sculpt a lion out of butter that was then used as centerpiece for a lavish lunch.

Due to Canova’s promising talent, Pasino with the support of Senator Giovanni Falier, sent him to stay with and work in Giuseppe Berardi’s, known as Torretti, workshop in Pagnano d’Asolo. Here the artist received his first training, and in the fall of 1768 when Torretti returned to his Venetian workshop in Campo Santa Martino, Canova, only eleven at the time, joined him there.

In Venice, a young Canova worked in Torretti’s atelier and at the same time attended the Accademia del Nudo. His grandfather, certain of his grandchild’s talent, sold a small piece of land and with the money he made was able to allow Canova to work half days so he could dedicate himself to drawing and studying antique art pieces the rest of the day.
The first Venetian art pieces realized by Canova were the two Baskets of Flowers and Fruit (1772) for Senator Giovanni Falier (stored in the Museo Correr in Venice), and the sculptural group Orphee and Eurydice (1775-76) destined to be displayed in the garden at villa Falier in Asolo.
In 1775, once he had gained some popularity in Venice, Canova decided to open his own studio in Santo Stefano and here he realized the statues commissioned to him by Falier. In 1776 the artist was able to increase his notoriety when these art pieces were displayed in the “Fiera dei Sensa” in St. Mark’s Square. So much so that the following year Prosecutor Pietro Vittor Pisani commissioned him a statue depicting mythological creatures, Dedalo and Icarus. The latter was completed in 1779 and was displayed in the Professors Pavilion at the “Fiera dei Sensa”. This allowed Canova to obtain his well-deserved recognition in the Venetian artistic scene and the budget to undertake a study trip to Rome.

In 1781 Canova decided to leave Venice and move to Rome, where he opened his workshop near the Tiber River. Here he received many important commissions, including the sculptural group Theseus and the Minotaur (1781-1783) and Psyche (1789-1792) commissioned to him by Venetian ambassador Zulian. He was acclaimed by critics as the greatest modern sculptor and his fame grew both in Italy and abroad, allowing him to obtain commissions from important patrons, such as pontiffs and European sovereigns.
Between 1795 and 1796 the artist was hugely prolific: he created a series of sculptures, including Hebe (first version in 1796), Adonis and Venus (1793-1795), Hercules and Lichas (1795-1815), Creugas and Damoxenos (1800) and one of his most famous masterpieces, Cupid and Psyche (1787-1793). In 1802 Pope Pius VII appointed him General Inspector of Antiquities and Fine Arts, a position that was previously held by Raffaello. Canova dedicated a lot of time and personal resources to this position; he curated the set-up of the antiques in the new Museum Chiaramonti and also solicited a law that prevented art pieces from being exported without authorization.

Antonio Canova’s fame reached France and more specifically piqued the interest of Napoleon Bonaparte (1769-1821), that after the Napoleonic campaigns, funded the “First French Empire” and assumed the title of First Consul.
In 1802, he invited the artist to Paris to commission him a portrait. Canova initially declined, stating that “how could he as a proud Venetian, work for the one who made is native town a commodity and destroyed the glorious Government”, however, he later decided to accept his invitation. In October 1802 he arrived at Saint-Cloud Palace where he was welcomed by Napoleon himself for the realization of the art piece. Throughout his career he went on to realize multiple pieces for the Bonaparte family.
In 1815, after Napoleon’s defeat, the artist returned to Paris, but this time as General Inspector of Antiquities and Fine Arts of the Papal State, with the assignment of bringing back to Italy all the art pieces that were stolen during the Napoleonic campaigns. Canova succeeded in his mission and was able to retrieve a great number of Italian masterpieces.

In 1815 Antonio Canova went to London to pass his judgement on the Parthenon Marbles, displayed at Burlington House. He defined them as “an art piece by the best artists the world has ever seen”. Following his assessment, the English government considered the marbles original and decided to purchase them and exhibit them at the British Museum in London.
While in the English capital the Artist was also invited to a banquet organized in his honor by the Royal Academy and was portrayed by the painter Thomas Lawrence.
King George IV was among his important English patrons and commissioned him two sculptures: first, Venus and Mars (1816), allegory of war and peace, displayed in February 1822 at Buckingham Palace, and secondly, a copy of The Three Graces (1812-1817).

After the canons refused to display the statue Religion inside the basilica, Canova decided to redirect the money destined to the statue to the construction of the Temple of Possagno. The artist decided to take on the entire cost of the construction of the new parish church and asked the locals to support by providing the necessary materials, such as lime, stones, and sand for free. The people of Possagno were more than happy to help and supply what was asked and also made themselves available to work on nights and during holidays. Since he was living in Rome at the time of the construction and could not actively participate, he received weekly letters to stay updated on the progress of the work.
Seen as Canova died on October 13th ,1822, he was never able to see the Temple completed. His half-brother and sole heir, Gianbattista Sartori, saw the construction through. He was also the one who, after his brother’s death, moved all the plaster models from the Roman workshop to Possagno, and gifted the town the incredible heritage that we can admire to this day in the Gypsotheca.