Antonio Canovas Design Principles - Essay Example

Month Antonio Canova’s Design Principles, Technique, and Media Antonio Canova was one of the most famous Italian sculptors of Classicism. Canova was born in 1757 in small village, near Treviso. He was a son of the poor stonemason. He orphaned in the early years and entered the service to one of the Venetian senators. The latter gave him an opportunity to study sculpture. The first Antonio’s works refer to 1773. His first work the statue of Orpheus the sculptor made in his youth1. During his life, Canova gained the reputation of one of the most significant sculptors of his time. His contemporaries did not regret strong epithets to describe their admiration of Canova’s talent. They compared him with the best sculptors of antiquity. Antonio Canova had accomplished a large number of great works and masterpieces of world’s sculpture during his life. His art work can be divided into two different periods that refer to the different art styles. He began to sculpt within the popular tradition of baroque; however, after starting to learn ancient art and sculpture, he refused the baroque style, and began to follow the classical ancient restraint. In this respect, the current paper will contrast Canova’s earlier works of baroque style and later sculptures of classical style. To comprehend the idea of the difference in works of both periods, it is also worth giving a short overview of the baroque and classicist traditions that Canova belonged to. Baroque sculpture is a style in sculpture characterized by the exaggerated theatricality of the images, dynamic poses, expressive gestures and specific extravagance. The style was formed in the 17th and in the first half of the 18th century, as one of the components of the Baroque culture. The expression of the sculpture developed by the baroque tradition reached the unprecedented level. The element of theatricality was actively implemented by the sculptors. The first innovation introduced by the Baroque sculpture was the interest in the dramatic complexity and diversity of the world. The main attention was paid to the dynamism of the ensemble through the embodiment of scenes depicting the certain moment of the certain action. The sculptors sought to include the audience in the space of sculpture and to intensify the entertainment of the scene. A typical feature of the Baroque sculpture is sharp need for the medium and active interaction with it: water, light, and air. Baroque sculptures need architectural or landscape frame; therefore, the impression of them can usually be lost in the museum environment. In the Renaissance the painting tended to sculptural principles, but in the era of Baroque sculpture tended to the principles of painting. The masters were proud of their ability to assimilate sculpture to painting. This effect was reached with the help of patches of reflected light, playing on the surface of the sculpture. Sculptor’s ideas were intended to perceive the most delicate transitions of light and shadow on the depicted human body. All in all, the space around the figure played a very important role in the art of the Baroque2. According to all these principles, Canova made his first sculptures. The brightest examples of his works made in the Baroque style were the sculpture groups Orpheus and Eurydice (1776) and Daedalus and Icarus (1779). The statue group Orpheus and Eurydice (1776) tells the story of Orpheus, who, after the death of his wife Eurydice, went down into the underworld of the dead. There, with his playing and singing, he touched the goddess Persephone so much that she gave him his wife back. For that Orpheus had to meet one condition not to turn around to look on his wife Eurydice until they come out of the realm of the dead. Orpheus could not resist, he looked back and forever lost his wife. Sculptor managed to convey complex bending shapes in the significant turn and the horror written on the face of Orpheus, who saw that his wife disappeared in the realm of shadows. In 1779 Canova created his sculptural group Daedalus and Icarus. It was based on the opposition of two large areas of light and dark. The light area was a figure of the boy, Icarus, who stepped forward and a bit to the right. Bended entering figure of the old man formed a part of the dark zone. Canova created these two figures as opposite, but touching on the vertical axis; therefore, balancing the right proportions, but not only creating the contrast of light and shadow. In these two group of sculptures described above, the influence of the baroque was evident due to the play of the light reflections and dynamics of the postures3. The crucial turnover in Canova’s creative work happened in 1779, when he began to study ancient art and, that is why he turned to the classicism. In Italy, Classicism was associated with the ideological and theoretical research in the field of formation of the new principles of art. It was in Italy, mainly in Rome that most of the monuments of antiquity were focused. However, it would be wrong to consider Italian tradition of Classicism in isolation from the rest of the European countries of the 18th century. There were a range of ideological factors that influenced the trend. During the 17th and 18th centuries, in all the countries of the Western Europe there was a growing element of capitalism. Therefore, it strengthened the positions of bourgeoisie in the political life of the countries. Growing bourgeoisie was struggling in the ideological field. The conceptual basis of capitalism was the philosophy of the Enlightenment, and in the sphere of art there occurred a search of the new style, which was to reflect its goals and ideals. Naturally, the bourgeoisie was creating its own culture, built on the past traditions and use the legacy of the past epochs. The forms of the antique art were most consistent with the bourgeoisie conception of art; therefore, the antiquity laid the basis for the new artistic style. Ancient art became the subject of study, borrowing, and imitation. Growing interest in antiquity strengthened the opposition to Baroque style. In this respect, there occurred a second circle of the study and development of the ancient heritage, the first wave of interest to antiquity was related to the period of Renaissance. On the creation of the new classicist style influenced greatly philosophical works of this period, researches in the field of ancient culture, and the beginning excavations of Pompeii. Rousseau’s works on art had a huge impact on the development of naturalism and naturalness in art. Basing on the concept of the reasonable laws of the world and absolute nature, classicism sought to express the elevated ideals of symmetry and strict organization, logical and clear proportions, and harmony of form and content. In other words, classicism strove to sort everything through, to find the place and the role for everything4. Classicism, with all above principles, manifested itself in all areas of art. In contrast to Baroque style, classicist art forms were characterized by the strongly organized, balanced, clear, and harmonious forms. Canova began to implement these principles in his art works. During the 1780’s, the Canova took a prominent place among sculptors, and his reputation grew with each new work and extended far beyond Italy. He received orders from royalty and nobles. Between 1782 and 1787, Canova created a grave-stone for the Pope Clement XIV. It was the first work after studying the ancient sculpture. In this gravestone there was no symmetry, but a directed movement from the allegorical figure of the gentleness, sitting at the right bottom, to the standing figure of the temperance on the left, and finally to the center to the figure of the Pope. To follow the direction intended by the sculptor, the look of the viewer had to change its line: firstly to look up and then turn and enter the small, but clearly expressed deepening in the gravestone with alternating plans from the pedestal to the figures. The gravestone was crowned with the figure of the Pope, who was sitting on his throne with outstretched blessing hand that went beyond the ideal space of the monument. His hand was a closing element of the geometrical harmony of the monument5. During the same period, Canova created a number of sculptures and reliefs that reflected best the nature of his interpretation of antique tradition. Canova was one of those who saw the ancient art as the norm and the ideal model, but not as a form of expression of the actual thoughts and feelings. Every new Canova’s work delighted the viewers, and at the same time it helped them to distract from the rugged epoch. Initially, Canova sought to embody the ideal of beauty that was understood as the harmonious combination of smooth lines, clear shapes, and restrained movements. He constantly crosschecked his works with antique tradition that was drawn on the basis of the already found monuments. From the ancient sculptors he learned the sense of tectonics: a clear, collected, steady sculptural form. However, in every piece of art he introduced his own features, suggested by his understanding of ancient ideas of beauty, grace, lightness, and softness. A certain lethargy was inherent to his sculptures embodied in the neutrality, blurred features, and smoothed forms. Most of the works created by the master were inspired by the ancient myths and legends. Ancient traits become clearly evident in the in the marble sculpture of Theseus, and the Dead Minotaur (1781), where the figures naturally form a clear pyramidal integrity. Theseus, in the Greek mythology, was the hero, who defeated the Minotaur, a man with the head of the bull and lived on the island of Crete in the maze-palace6. Then, Canova made a statue of Hebe (around 1800), the young goddess and daughter of Zeus. He displayed her with a bowl and pitcher, in which she carried nectar and ambrosia on the feasts of the Olympian gods, their divine food. Curling shapes of the clouds, from which Hebe descends, change into the wind fluttering plaits of her clothes, trembling and embracing the feet of the goddess. It seems that the strong wind firmly presses the transparent cloth to her body7. In the pose of the flying Hebe it was delivered the impetuous movement, but her young face was serenely calm, corresponding to the ancient tradition of sculpture. In the sculptural group of Amor and Psyche (1787-1793) made of marble, the young winged god of love Amur fell in love with girl Psyche and awakened her from sleep. Amur flew from the sky and with the slight movement he leaned over the sleeping girl; the girl, in her turn, stretches out her arms to the young man, not yet fully awakened. The sculpture group is perfectly deployed in space, it is changing, playing, giving more and more aspects to the viewer, who bypasses it from the different sides. The harmony of the silhouettes, graceful gestures, and continuity creates an impression of elegance and decoration. The earliest copy of this sculpture is now kept in Louvre, France, and the later marble copy is in Hermitage, Russia. This sculpture group is one of the brightest examples of Canova’s art work of classicist period8. Paris, the kidnapper of the beautiful Helen, the causer of the Trojan War, was depicted by Canova as effeminate narcissi young men (1807). He stands in the careless posture, slightly leaning on a tree stump. His slender body is lazily arched, and his lips are touched with slightly smile. Canova’s sculptures were very popular for the virtuosity of execution. His works were graceful and decorative. Most of his works were characterized by the contrasting and torn forms. Canova’s sculpture modeling is composed from plenty of illuminated small planes and deep, almost dark, hollows. The meaning of Canova’s sculptures remains the same in any lighting and from any point of view. The latter keeps great value to the Canova’s sculptural skill. Canova’s merit lies in the fact that after a long period of decline of plastics, in the age of baroque pomposity and pathos, he was the first to try to get back to the principles and forms of the ancient art. However, he could not quite get rid of the shortcomings of sculpture tradition time and achieve the classical simplicity and nobility. His reliefs preserved the features of the baroque style. Canova’s statues and groups of statues still feel the lack of the calmness and the internal finality9. The latter were the main conditions of the true antique plastic. He succeeded in sculpting the figures of the young women. He attributed to these statues partly sensual, partly sentimental tone, and coquettish grace, his time’s favorite. Somewhat easier, and therefore, more attractive were his male figures. But the best where his gravestones that differ with the flexibility of the composition, seriousness, and dignity. To conclude with, Antonio Canova’s sculpture legacy cannot be overestimated. He left a number of the masterpieces of the world’s sculpture. He worked within the style of baroque and classicism. His earlier works belonged to the baroque tradition and were characterized by the dynamics of the form and the play of light. In contrast to the earlier works, in his later sculptures Canova sought to inherit the ancient tradition of calmness. He made a lot of wonderful sculptures according to the principles of ancient art; however, he did not gain the complete identity with antique works. His statues always carried a certain level of originality. Works Cited Bietoletti, Silvestra. Neoclassicism & Romanticism: 1770-1840. Sterling Publishing Company, 2009. Print. Hauser, Arnold. Social History of Art, Volume 3: Rococo, Classicism, and Romanticism. Routledge, 2012. Print. Honour, Hugh, and John Fleming. A World History of Art. London: Laurence King, 2005. Print. Impelluso, Lucia, and Stefano Zuffi. Gods and Heroes in Art. Los Angeles: J. Paul Getty Museum, 2003. Print. Johns, Christopher M. S. Antonio Canova and the Politics of Patronage in Revolutionary and Napoleonic Europe. Berkeley: University of California Press, 1998. Print. Read More