Canova

This is an excursus on the life and work of the great neoclassical sculptor Canova, the poet of eternal beauty, and is also a celebration of his birthplace. More than four hundred works are on show, including pieces from the artist's humble beginnings through to the period of international glory, with a range of works from quick sketches to sublime marbles this is one of the most comprehensive exhibitions on this superb artist. The breathtaking exhibition itinerary moves from the rooms of the Museo Civico in Bassano del Grappa to Possagno, the artist's birthplace, taking in the works on display in the Gipsoteca and the memorabilia conserved in the artist's house, and culminating in the great Temple designed by Canova, the place where he is also buried.
Edited by Sergej Androsov, Mario Guderzo and Giuseppe Pavanello, the exhibition catalogue is the most complete and up-to-date monograph dedicated to Canova and presents an exceptional selection of works including marbles, drawings, engravings, paintings, monochrome works, plaster casts, in addition to numerous letters and an architectural work, the house where the artist was born. It is thus a total overview on the work of the neoclassical master, demonstrating that he was not only an extraordinary sculptor but also a complete artist who used figurative techniques to express his unique creativity and formal experimentation.
The pieces include the extraordinary State Hermitage Museum masterpieces (including Winged Cupid, the famous Cupid and Psyche group, Dancer with her hands on her hips, and the monumental Head of the Genius of Death), the solemn Peace from Kiev, the sublime Venus from Leeds, the famous Polymnia from Vienna, the Sleeping Nymph from London and the captivating Tersicore of Mamiano di Traversetolo, the legendary Hebe from Forlì, the moving Penitent Magdalene from Genoa, and the two beautiful figures of Orpheus and Eurydice from the Correr Museum in Venice. There are also refined monochrome works, studies of the antique, nudes, draped figures, sketches for inventions and other studies.
The catalogue highlights all aspects of Canova's art and the different phases of his work inspiration, research, psychological exploration, the dilemma, the search for universal and eternal beauty, the yearning for perfection, the study of man, his personal development and the secrets of his workshop. This, in addition to extensive correspondence and a selection of portraits of the artist, his patrons and neoclassical theorists (created by leading artists of the time) brings to life the mood of the era and the protagonists of those years.