Adonis Crowned
by Venus

This fascinating group was commissioned by Stanislao Poniatowski, King of Poland, to be placed in one of the rooms in the Royal Palace. However, the finances for the piece never came through, so the sculpture was never completed and consequently never translated into marble. The artwork can be seen in its “fetal” phase, not completely smoothed, nor completed, but it represents a unique and once-in-a-lifetime piece, that can be admired only in the Gypsotheca in Possagno. The sculpture presents great harmony both in the movements and the bodies, the two characters arms close to form a sort of arch and together hold a flower crown. A sitting Adonis welcomes on his lap the beautiful goddess, that gently rests herself on his knees while admiring his beauty. The bodies are depicted in the nude remaining faithful to the Neoclassical sculptural language. Nevertheless, the piece conveys sublime and idealized beauty the lifts the spirit and gives the bodies a joyful spiritual poise.