CANOVA, ki-neva, Antonio, Italian sculp tor: b. Possagno, Treviso, 1 Nov. 1757; d. Venice, 13 Oct. 1822. He was the founder of a new school of Italian sculpture in which soft ness and delicacy of expression predominate. Canova came of a family of stone-cutters and makers of small statuary. At a very early age he was taught by his grandfather to draw, design and copy the statuary in his workshop. He very early showed talent and great interest in the traditional trade of his family; and in this he was encouraged by his grandfather, who acted as his guardian, for his parents had died while he was still an infant. Before his tenth year Canova had begun to imitate the work of his elders; and two small shrines executed by him at this period are still in exist ence. From this time on he worked continu ously in the shop of his grandfather, who had some knowledge of painting, drawing and archi tecture, a strong love for his profession and a desire to see his grandson distinguish himself in it. At the age of 13 the boy had already acquired a local reputation which attracted the attention of Giovanni Falieri, senator and mem ber of an old patrician family, and a man of great influence in the community, who intro duced him to Torretti, a local sculptor. Canova worked with and studied under the latter for two years and went with him to Venice, where Torretti died a few months later. The boy continued with Ferrari, a nephew of Torretti, who made marble house decorations. While here Canova made for his patron. Falieri two statues 'Orpheus' and 'Eurydice,' in which the latter saw evidence of great talent, and gave him an order for more. The next three years were, for Canova, a period of study, at tendance at the art and other classes in the school and of investigation in anatomy and working from natural objects; at the end of which time he presented to his patron work much superior to anything he had previously done, among them 'Dmdalus and Icarus,' the best known of his works of this period. As his reputation grew he turned his eyes toward Rome, then the centre of Italian art, as it is to-day. Falieri came to his aid and secured for him a pension of 300 ducats ($290) a year for three years from the Venetian Senate to enable him to continue his studies. In 1779, at the age of 22, he went to Rome with a letter of introduction to the Venetian ambassador, who became his friend and patron. There Canova applied himself to study and work with enthusi asm; and under the influence of the city, its ancient monuments, its traditions and the en thusiasm inspired by Winkelmann and other students and reformers of art, the young Vene tian developed rapidly and soon acquired, in the Imperial city, a reputation superior even to that he had left behind him in Venice.
Sitting upon the Slain Minotaur' was the first large work by Canova in Rome (1783).
In 1783 he undertook the execution of the tomb of Pope Clement XIV, in the church Degli Apostoli. He retained the usual style of com position, and only improved on the depraved taste of the school of Bernini. He next exe cuted the group of 'Cupid and Psyche,' in which hefirst displayed his own peculiar style, of which loveliness is a striking characteristic.
The figures are exceedingly delicate and grace ful. He was employed on a second public monument, the tomb of Pope Clement XIII, in Saint Peter's, which was finished in 1792. It is distinguished for its colossal size and sim ple style. Meanwhile the fame of the artist continually increased. He established in the palace of the Venetian Ambassador a school for the benefit of young Venetians. His next works were a winged Cupid, standing; another group of 'Cupid and Psyche' ; a group of
The group is colossal, and Hercules is some what larger than the Farnesian; but it makes a disagreeable impression, for the genius of Ca nova was not adapted to such subjects. His representation of the two pugilists,
As a man Canova was active, open, mild, obliging and kind toward everybody. His opin ion of himself was very modest, notwithstanding his fame. He assisted promising young artists, and established prizes for the encouragement of the arts. When the Pope conferred upon him the title of Marquis of Ischia, with a pension, he dedicated the latter to the support and encouragement of poor and deserving artists. Canova was also an agreeable painter, but, strangely enough, more of a colorist than a correct designer. Engraved copies of all his works have appeared in Italy and at Paris. Consult Missiruu, Melchior,
CANOVAI,
Stanislao, Italian ecclesiastic and historian: b. Florence, 27 March 1740; d. Parma, 17 Nov. 1811. Having taken holy orders, he officiated afterward as pro fessor of mathematics at Parma. In 1788, as a member of the academy of antiquities, he contended for the prize which was offered for an essay on Amerigo Vespucci. He opposed the common opinion that Columbus was the first discoverer of the New World, claiming that Vespucci one year before him had touched upon the northern part of the continent and had landed in Brazil. His paper gained the pride, but produced much discussion. He was