Canova was three times summoned to Paris by Napoleon: in 1S02, 1805, and 1810. Ills patriot ism would not permit him to accept the Em peror') brilliant inducements to remain in Paris. He pleaded with success for the support of the arts in 'Italy, but could not induce the Emperor to return the extorted art treasures. Ile en rved the well-known ideal bust of Napoleon in the Pitti Palace, and in 1812 he finished a colossal marble statue, in which, aecording to Roman cus tom, the Emperor is represented nude, as a god. The original marble is lost, but an excellent bronze cast is in the court of the Brent. Palace, Man, lie also represented Napoleon's, sister, Pauline Bo•ghese, as a reclining Venus. his mother Agrippina as Concordia, the Empress Maria Louisa as Concordia. In 1815, after the fall of Napoleon, he was sent as the Pope's ambas sador to Paris, to bring about the return of the art treasures taken from Rome, and it was chiefly owing to his skill as a diplomat that they were returned. On his return to the Pope made hint :Marquis of Ischia, the leadenly of Saint Luke chose him perpetual president. and the Roman' Senate inscribed Isis mune in the Golden Book of the Capitol. During his embassy to Paris he visited London and saw the Elgin marbles, Inn. warmly rejected Lord Elgin's pro posal to restore them.
One of Canova's most celebrated works was the ordered, in 1798, by Albert, Prince of Sachsen-Teschen, for his wife, Marie Christina, Archduchess of Austria, hut not completed till 1805, and erected in the Church of the Angus tines in Vienna. It consists of a marble pyra mid, in front of which are two groups of figures. On the left "Virtue," attended by two beautiful maidens, and. bearing the cinerary urn, strides toward the door of the pyramid, followed by "Charity," leading a blind old man. On the right reclines a lion as guardian of the tomb, and a mourning genius. The composition is more adapt ed to a painting or relief than to a work of sculp ture, and the figures. notwithstanding their beauty, have the effect of artificiality. Among his other sepulchral monuments are that of his friend Volpato, in Santi Apostoli, Rome; of the poet Alfieri, in Santa Croce, Florence: of the last three Stuarts. in Saint Peter's, and of Pins VI., a praying figure. in Saint Peter's. In these works he appears at his best. Among his
classical subjects are an excellent "Paris" (1807), in Mnnich, "Theseus and the Centaur," in Vienna, and a "Mars and Venus," in London. IIis famous series of antique dancers are too studied in pose to be pleasing. One of his last works was the plaster model of George Washington, clad as an antique hens. writing his last message, which may be seen in the museum in his native town.
He seldom treated religious subjects, and when he did he represented them as beautiful, classical figures. The best-known example is a kneeling "Magdalen," in Villa Carlotta. Candenabbia.
Canova also executed a large number of por trait busts of the celebrities of his day, his friends, and especially of ideal women, as Laura or Beatrice. They are too lacking in individual ization to be good portraits. He was unsuccess ful in relief work. owing to his inability to make a good composition. As a painter he is of little importance. 1;ut in his proper field of sculpture he is one of the most prominent figures of modern times. No one has treated the surface of marble with more delicacy and more skill than he.
Canova died in Venice, October 13. 1822, and was buried at Passagno in a church which he had himself erected at the cost of his earnings of a lifetime. There is also a monument to him, after his own design, in the Church of the Frani, Venice, near the tomb of Titian. lie was a man of lovable character, kind and charitable, especially to young and needy artists. He was inspired by a lofty patriotism, and by a touching love for his native town, to which he returned whenever possible. His house there contains a museum of his works, with the original plaster models of the most remarkable. His works were engraved by Lasinio (Pisa. 1821-25), Moses (Lon don, 1828), and Revell (Paris, 1825).
BIBLIOGRAPHY. An excellent contemporary biBibliography. An excellent contemporary bi- ography of Canova was written by his friend, Quatremere de Quincy (Paris, 1834), with which compare the more critical Romische Studien, by Fernow (Ziirich, 18061. Other biographies are those of his friend Cicognara (Venice, 1823) ; Missirini (Prato, 1827) Rosini (Pisa, 1825) D'Este (Florence, 1864) ; Lficke, in Dolime, Kunst and Kiinstler des neunzehnten Jahrhun derts (Leipzig, 1883) ; and _Meyer, in Knackfuss, Iiiinstlermonographien (Bielefeld, 1898).