Hi Baby Bears!
In the first of our What’s on in Rome posts, we’re taking a look at one of the must-see shows of the moment: Canova –Eterna Bellezza (Eternal Beauty).
If you’re an art and sculpture aficionado, Canova – Eterna Bellezza is the exhibition for you. Antonio Canova was one of the greatest sculptors ever to have lived, standing alongside the likes of Praxiteles and Michelangelo in the Pantheon of all-time greats. He was a true Renaissance man, renowned across the continent, in constant demand from Europe’s royal households.
Critics often hail Canova’s style as the pinnacle of Italian Neoclassicism. His sculptures infused Baroque exuberance into the cold, lifelike forms of classical antiquity. Like the Great Masters before him, for his subjects he drew inspiration from both the mythological and the biblical, injecting such similar pathos into each as to render them almost indiscernible.
Yet among those fortunate enough to be carved into immortality by Canova were also many famous figures from the realm of history: George Washington, the patriarchs of the English House of Stuart and even Napoleon (though his rendering of Napoleon’s sister, Pauline, is perhaps more famous).
Housed in the resplendent Museo di Roma, situated between Piazza di San Pantaleo and Piazza Navona, Canova – Eterna Bellezza is an extraordinary exhibition. It focuses on his time in Rome, a city’s whose Eternal Beauty inspired him to transcend what most considered possible.
Canova arrived in Rome in 1780, aged 23, having spent his formative years learning his craft in Possagno and Venice. He spent many of his early days lost wonder at the Eternal City’s beauty, wandering its streets to seek out and sketch its monuments and sculptures – particularly (though not exclusively) the works of Michelangelo. Nearly 250 years later, many would be inclined to do the same.
This extraordinary exhibition showcases more than 170 works from Italy and abroad, even including the divine “Dancer with her hands on her hips” on loan from St. Petersburg’s Hermitage. As well as Canova’s most famous sculptures and sketches, the exhibition also documents the fascinating historical backdrop to the artist’s life in Rome, tracing his rises and falls in favour through a series of letters, paintings and biographies.
If you’re visiting Rome before 15 March this year, don’t miss the chance to encounter Canova’s works and discover his genius. You can buy tickets online through the Museo di Roma website or get in touch with me through my live chat and we can explore the exhibition together!
Important information:
Museo di Roma, Piazza di San Pantaleo, 10; Piazza Navona 2, 00186, Roma
Open daily (10:00 – 19:00) until 15 Mach, 2020.
On Saturdays and Sundays, the exhibition is open until 22:00 (the ticket office closes at 21:00)