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Canova : sketching in clay / C.D. Dickerson III, Emerson Bowyer ; with Anthony Sigel, Elyse Nelson.

Contributor(s): Publication details: Washington ; Chicago : National Gallery of Art ; Art Institute of Chicago, 2023.Description: 279 pages : illustrations (chiefly color), portraits ; 27 cmISBN:
  • 9780300269758
Subject(s):
Contents:
A passion for clay / C.D. Dickerson III, Emerson Bowyer
Reading Canova's hand / Anthony Sigel
Cherished gifts in clay / Elyse Nelson
Summary: The most celebrated sculptor of the neoclassical age, Antonio Canova (1757-1822) established himself as the preeminent artist of his time with his funerary monuments and meticulously carved marbles on classical themes. Although his idealised and sensual sculptures are widely known, this book is devoted entirely to the brilliantly expressive clay models that he made in preparation for his marble sculptures. Only 65 of his terracotta models survive today. Extraordinarily modern in their boldness, the models retain the touch of the artist's hand and yield a revelatory glimpse into Canova's imaginative and technical process. The authors, with expertise in art history and conservation, examine Canova's techniques for making terracotta models, including how he used clay to develop full-scale models that his assistants copied in marble, and his practice of gifting his models to friends.
Holdings
Item type Current library Call number Status Date due Barcode
Book Book CGLAS Library Monographs Room CAN (Browse shelf(Opens below)) Available 12809

Published on the occasion of the exhibition held at the National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C., 11 June - 9 October 2023 ; Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, 19 November 2023 - 18 March 2024.

Includes bibliographical references (pages 262-265) and index.

A passion for clay / C.D. Dickerson III, Emerson Bowyer

Reading Canova's hand / Anthony Sigel

Cherished gifts in clay / Elyse Nelson

The most celebrated sculptor of the neoclassical age, Antonio Canova (1757-1822) established himself as the preeminent artist of his time with his funerary monuments and meticulously carved marbles on classical themes. Although his idealised and sensual sculptures are widely known, this book is devoted entirely to the brilliantly expressive clay models that he made in preparation for his marble sculptures. Only 65 of his terracotta models survive today. Extraordinarily modern in their boldness, the models retain the touch of the artist's hand and yield a revelatory glimpse into Canova's imaginative and technical process. The authors, with expertise in art history and conservation, examine Canova's techniques for making terracotta models, including how he used clay to develop full-scale models that his assistants copied in marble, and his practice of gifting his models to friends.