Italian Art Heritage Abroad: The Three Graces
Antonio Canova was born in a small village near Venice. Although Greece was far away, he was still nicknamed “the new Phidias”, as he brought the classical era from 400 BC to 1700 AD, becoming the point man in neoclassicism, a cultural trend that will restore the glory of European art. The identification of classicism with Antonio Canova dates back...
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Canova’s George Washington
The story tells itself. In 1816, the legislature of the state of North Carolina authorized the commission of a monumental statue of George Washington – founding father, hero of the American Revolution, first president of the United States. From his retirement in Monticello, Thomas Jefferson – founding father, diplomat, third president of the United...
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Canova’s Washington Returns to the U.S. at the Frick Collection
Visitors to the Frick Collection will encounter an exhibition exalting the only work Antonio Canova (1757-1822) created for the United States — a full-length statue of George Washington, on view until September 23. “Thomas Jefferson, believing that no American sculptor was up to the task, recommended Canova, then one of Europe’s most celebrated art...
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The Sculptor Who Imagined George Washington as a Roman God
The Frick Collection would like to show you George Washington as you’ve never seen him before. Think Roman god, with an expression of deep contemplation and an athletic physique, garbed in a flowing cloak and open-toed shoes. The image comes courtesy of the Italian neoclassical sculptor Antonio Canova (1757-1822), whose rendering of the first U.S....
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If this NC statue had survived the fire of 1831, it would be one of the country's masterpieces
Every spring, hundreds of fourth-graders parade past the 16-foot statue of George Washington standing inside the Capitol rotunda, a masterpiece in Italian marble. If they recall anything about this monument to a founding father, they most likely notice the sandals strapped on his enormous feet, or the Roman military kilt hiked halfway up his muscul...
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Canova’s George Washington Exhibition to Address Canova’s Only Work Created for America
Canova’s George Washington. Exhibition to Address Canova’s Only Work Created for America. The Frick Collection - 1 East 70th Street - New York, NY 10021. May 23, 2018 through September 23, 2018. Gypsotheca e Museo Antonio Canova - Possagno, Italy - November 10, 2018 through April 22, 2019 In 1816, the North Carolina State House in Raleigh commissio...
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