Canova Paintings on Display in U.S. for First Time

Antonio Canova. "Dancer with Cymbals", 1799. Tempura on paper.
Antonio Canova. “Dancer with Cymbals”, 1799. Tempera on paper. Public domain.

Sixteen paintings by the 18th century Italian artist Antonio Canova are on display for the first time in the US. “Canova e la Danza”, put on by the Italian Cultural Institute of New York in association with the Gypsoteca e Museo Canova, is free and open to the public.

Considered the greatest artist of the Neoclassical movement, Canova’s skill as a sculptor earned him fame across Europe. His works include Napoleon as Mars the Peacemaker (1802-1806), The Three Graces (1814-1817), and George Washington (1820), a Roman-style statue commissioned by Thomas Jefferson.

Antonio Canova. "Self-portrait", 1792. Oil on canvas. 68 x 55 cm (26.7 x 21.6 in). Uffizi Gallery. Source: http://www.historia-del-arte.net/Links-ARTE/Concurso/Ganador2000.htm
Antonio Canova. “Self-portrait”, 1792. Oil on canvas. 68 x 55 cm (26.7 x 21.6 in). Uffizi Gallery. Source: http://www.historia-del-arte.net/Links-ARTE/Concurso/Ganador2000.htm

While Canova’s paintings are not as popular as his sculptures, they are no less impressive. Created between 1799 and 1806, the exhibition’s sixteen pieces are in the classical style of Greek and Roman art, featuring joyful movement on simple backgrounds. Each painting is centered around a single theme: “dance”.

“Canova e la Danza” is open to the public from 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM, Monday-Friday, until Thursday, June 28.

– Joe Powers

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