A Figure Representing Virtue

Antonio Canova was the most influential sculptor of the Neoclassical movement, exceeding all others in international fame and prestige.

He ran a large studio and worked for a galaxy of European notables, including Napoleon of France, Britain's Duke of Wellington, and Catherine the Great of Russia.

Canova's early work is lively and naturalistic, but after he settled in Rome in 1781 his style became graver and thoroughly imbued with the influence of the antique. His most significant and certainly his most affecting contribution to the art of sculpture are his tombs. This plaster cast of Virtue in mourning is a working model for the magnificent tomb of Archduchess Maria Christina in Vienna. Commissioned in 1798 at the wish of her grieving husband, the tomb with its procession of celestial figures was meant as an expression of her fondly cherished virtues. The handling of this highly finished model suggests the care and attention that Canova paid to the design and construction of the renowned tomb.