CANON'S., ANTONIO, the founder of a new school of Italian sculpture, was b. Nov. 1, 1757, at Possagno, a village iu the Venetian territory. Raving displayed in boyhood great talent in modeling, the artist gained the patronage of Giovanni Falicro, a Venetian senator, by whom he was sent to work under a sculptor at Bassano. His first imagina live performance, "Eurydice," half the size of life, was executed in his 17th year. After this he went to Venice, where his study of art properly began. In 1779, Faller() sent him to Rome, with an introduction to Oay. Zuliano, the Venetian ambassador, and one of the most illustrious patrons of art at this time in Italy. In Rome the first result of his studies appeared in the statue of " Apollo," which must be regarded as his earliest effort in ideal sculpture; but a far greater progress toward the pure style of the antique was evident in his next work, "Theseus with the Centaur." Nevertheless, C. did not rigorously adhere to the severe simplicity of the antique, but rather took pains to miti gate it by a peculiar grace and loveliness of his own, such as characterized his group of 'Cupid and Psyche," which was produced soon after he had completed the monument of pope Clement XIV. This is apparent even in the colossal monument of Clement XIII. (erected in St. Peter's, 1792); though this work, on the whole, is a magnificent effort of genius, simple in style, and with nothing overwrought in the figures. Among his other works may be noticed a "Winged Cupid," " Venus and Adonis," a "Psyche holding a Butterfly " Penitent Magdalen," in life-size; "Hercules hurling Lichas from the Rock," a colossal work, but not free from affectation; " Kreugas and Damoxenos" (two pugilists), " Palamedes," and " Perseus with the Head of the Medusa," a work which, more than all previous efforts, served to raise his fame. In 1802, C. was appointed by pope Pius VII. chief curator of all Roman works of art in the papal states; but was soon called away to Paris. to prepare the model of a colossal statue of Bonaparte.
After the fall of the French empire, C., in 1815, was employed by the Roman govern ment as ambassador to recover the works of art which had been taken to Paris, and paid a visit to England. On his return to Rome, he was created marquis of Ischia, with a pension of 3000 scudi. This money he expended in the support of art and artists in Rome. C. died in Venice, 13th Oct., 1822. A marble statue was erected to his memory in the church de' Frati, 1827. Another monument to C. was erected in the library of the capitol, by order of Leo XII., in 1833.
It is universally allowed that to C. belongs the honor of having restored to sculpture the position which it had lost among the modern fine arts. After Michael Angelo Buon arotti and Bernini, be was the third of epoch-making Italian sculptors. His delicate execution and masterly treatment of marble are unrivaled, and even his faults—viz., his exaggerated nicety and carefulness, and his use of corrosives to produce fine finish— served to attract by the novel effects which they produced. The essential characteristic of all his works is sentiment—often verging, however, on sentimentalism—and this also, like his delicacy in details, was accordant with the taste prevalent in his time, and was the chief cause of his popularity, as of his errors. When judged by the sterner princi ples of antique sculpture. the works of C. are found deficient in that objective or realistic character which Thorwaldsen could express so well.
During his leisure hours C. amused himself in painting, in which he attained such a degree of excellence in following the coloring of the Venetian masters, that his pictures have even deceived connoisseurs. In his private life, C. was a very amiable and benev olent man. Biographies of C. have been written by Missirini (4 vols., Prato, 1824), Cicog nara (Venice, 1823), Rosini (Pisa, 1825), and D'Este (Florence, 1864).