CANOPPI, ANTONIO, an Italian artist, who resided during the latter half of his life in Russia, and died at St. Petersburg iu 1832 at the age of fiftylcine. He was educated by his father, who was civil engineer in the eervice of the Duke of Modena, and was esteemed one of the ablest of his day in that profession. But though he profited by the instruction bestowed upon him, Antonio soon relinquished science for art—construction for design. He aspired to build after the manner of Piranesi, the study of whose works filled his imagina tion with visions of architectural pomp, which he had afterwards opportunities of displaying when he began to paint for the stage. His first practice however was as a fresco painter, in which capacity he was employed by many Italian nobles to decorate their saloons. At this period he obtained the notice of Canova, who did much to recommend him, and also gave him instruction in sculpture. At Venice he became scene-painter at the Fenice Theatre, and was after wards engaged in the same capacity at Mantua, where some of tho scenery executed by him was long preserved for the sake of its beauty. While ho was thus winning public admiration, he fell under the suspicions of the French government in consequence of the active part he took in public affairs. Finding his personal safety threatened by the emissaries of Napoleon, Canoppi fled to Germany, and having made his way to Vienna, met there with a protector and patron in the Russian ambassador Prince Razumovsky, who proposed to him to establish himself in Russia. Accordingly, furnished with letters of recommendation by the prince, he proceeded to Moscow in 1807, where be was fully employed for several years, chiefly iu adorning with mural painting and arabesque decorations the saloons of the principal nobles. The ball of the Senate thus embellished by him
excited general admiration, but that and all his other labours of the kind in that capital, perished in the memorable conflagration of 1812. Just before that event Canoppi had sought an asylum at St. Peters burg, where he was already known by reputatiou, and was readily engaged as scene-painter at the Imperial Theatre, in which service he continued till his death, with the exception of the interval of a twelvemonth, when being ordered (1819) to travel for the benefit of his health, he visited the regions of the Caucasus. During these twenty years he produced a viva number of splendid architectural scenes for the theatre at St. Petersburg, some of which were considered wonderful performances of their kind ; and the name of Canoppi was enrolled with those of Sanquirico, Quaglio, Schinkel, and other great secnicisti. His engagements with the theatre did not however so completely occupy Canoppi as to prevent his exercising his pencil upon smaller subjects and easel-pieces. These were chiefly either architectural compositions or architectural views, such as those of the Winter Palace (the one destroyed bz fire in 1838), and the Etat Major at St. Petersburg; both of which were placed in the Gallery of the Hermitage: but he sometimes took historical and poetical subjects.
Besides having a considerable taste for literature, Canoppi wrote on various subjects appertaining to his art, perspective and architecture included; and there is one publication by him, which appeared in 1830, entitled Opinion d'Antoine Canoppi Bur l'Architecture en gadral, et en spdcialit6 stir la Construction des Thatres Modernes.' (Khudozhestmaya Gazeta, November 1837.)