Bust of Paris
1809
Medium
Marble
Dimensions
69.9 × 30.8 × 28 cm (27 1/2 × 12 1/8 × 11 in.); With socle: 134.7 × 58.5 cm (53 × 23 in.)
Classification
bust/head
Department
Painting and Sculpture of Europe
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
102591
Art Historical Context
Antonio Canova’s *Bust of Paris*, carved in 1809, captures the Trojan prince from Greek mythology with the refined elegance that made the Italian sculptor one of the foremost figures of the Neoclassical movement. Working in marble, Canova achieved the smooth, luminous surfaces and crisp details that recall ancient Roman portraiture while infusing the figure with a quiet, introspective dignity. The bust’s modest scale—roughly life-size without its socle—invites visitors to study the subtle modeling of the face and the carefully rendered curls, hallmarks of Canova’s ability to breathe life into ...
About the Artist
Antonio Canova · 1757–1822
Antonio Canova, born on November 1, 1757, in the small town of Possagno in the Republic of Venice, was immersed in sculpture from childhood. His father, Pietro Canova, a stonecutter, died when Antonio was just four, prompting his mother, Angela Zardo Fantolin, to remarry and place him under the care of his paternal grandfather, Pasino Canova. A skilled stonemason and sculptor of late Baroque altar...