Encyclopædia americana. A popular dictionary of arts, sciences, literature, history, politics and biography, a new ed.; including a copious collection of original articles in American biography; on the basis of the 7th ed. of the German Conversations-lexicon. Ed. by Francis Lieber, assisted by E. Wigglesworth ...

CANOVA. 483
female figure, he executed in marble. A afterwards executed, in Rome, his Perseus
repentant Magdalen, of the natural size, with the head of Medusa, which, when
belongs to the works in marble, in which the Apollo of Belvedere was carried to
he has carried the expression of the melt- France, occupied its place and pedestal.
ing and the soft to the highest degree. This statue increased the fame of C. more
The relaxing effect of repentance is ex- than any of the preceding works. But
pressed with great truth. His Hebe is a Perseus has no decided character. It is
delightful figure. In an easy and ani- only an imitation of the Apollo. The
mated attitude, the smiling goddess of separate parts are of exquisite beauty in
youth hovers upon a cloud, pouring nec- form, as well as in masterly, delicate fin
tar, with her right hand, into a bowl, ishing. The magical charm of the finish
which she holds in her left. Both vessels, dazzles the eye, and makes us often foras well as the coronet of Hebe, and the get the more severe forms of amt. Far
edges of her garment, are gilt. C. is fond less successful is the Jears pacifer, of
of a variety of'material, and often endeav- equal size. In 1802, C. was made, by
ors to give to his statues the effect of Pius VII, superintendent of the Roman
pictures. He repeated this and the pre- works of art, and knight of the Golden
ceding statue. He next displayed his Spur. In the same year, he was invited
talent for the tragical, in the raging by Bonaparte to Paris, to make the model
Hercules hurling Lichas into the sea, of his colossal statue. In the beginning
The group is colossal, and Hercules some- of 1803, the model of the emperor's bust,
what larger than the Farnesian; but it and afterwards that of his colossal statue,
makes a disagreeable impression, which was to be seen in the workshop of the
proves that the genius of C. was not artist. It is impossible to conceive a
adapted to such subjects. His represent- more characteristic likeness, exhibiting, at
ation of the two pugilists, Kreugas and the same time, the ideal character of the
Demoxenos, is much more successful. A ancient heroic style. We have not a
standing group of Cupid and Psyche, more successful work of the kind than
which has been often repeated, was the this bust: the figure of the statue is not
triumph of his art. Psyche here appears so good. George IV has since presented
again holding the butterfly. A Palamedes, the latter to the duke of Wellington. The
subsequently executed by C. in marble, statue of madame Laetitia Bonaparte was
was overthrown, in the winter of 1805, purchased, in 1819, in Paris, by the duke
by an inundation, and broken in pieces. of Devonshire, for 36,000 francs. Among
In 1796 and 1797, C. finished the model the later works of the artist are a Washof the celebrated tomb of the late arch- ington, of colossal size, in a sitting attiduchess Christina of Austria, wife of duke tude, now in the state-house at Raleigh,
Albert of Saxe-Teschen, which, in 1805, the seat of government of North Carolina'
was placed in the church of the Augus- the tombs of the cardinal of York and of
tines, at Vienna. The design of it is Pius VII; the busts of Pius VII and of
original; for the first time, the great artist Francis II; an incitation of the Medicean
ventured to leave the common track. In Venus; a Venus rising from the bath; a
1797, he made the colossal model of a portrait statue, lying, half-dressed, upon a
statue of the king of Naples, one of his couch; the tomb of the late engraver
finest works. In the beginning of the Volpato; the colossal group of Theseus
revolution, the studio of C. was in great killing the Minotaur, far surpassing his
danger from the Jacobins; but the lovely earlier works in the heroic style; the
Psyches, Hebes and Cupids softened the tomb of Alfieri, for the countess of Stolrage of the mob, and saved the work-shop berg, in Florence, and erected in tha
of the artist, in the back part of which place (the weeping Italia, a colossal statuthe royal colossus was concealed. This in marble, is particularly admired); the
statue, 15 palms high, was executed in Graces rising from the bath; the inonumarble, in 1803. During the revolution ment of the marchioness of S. Croce; a
of 1798 and 1799, C. accompanied the colossal basso-relievo, in marble; a Vesenator prince Rezzonico on a journey nus; a dancing girl, with almost transpathrough Germany. After his return, he rent garments; the portrait statue of the
remained for some time in the Venetian wife of Lucien Bonaparte, with the lyre
territory, and painted, for the church of in her arms, a large marble statue, with
his native village, Possagno, an altar- beautiful drapery; a colossal Hector; a
piece, in which are represented the dead Paris; a Muse, larger than the natural
Christ, the Maries, Nicodemus and Jo- size; a model of a colossal Ajax; anld the
seph, and, on high, God the Father. He model of a sitting statue, in rich robes, of