After Antonio Canova (Possagno 1757 - 1822 Venice), 19th Century

Sotheby's Paris, 15 December 2003, lot 117;

Where acquired by Aso O. Tavitian.

Inspired by the renowned neoclassical works of Antonio Canova, the present pair of sculptures are reductions of two works by the artist: Danzatrice con le mani sui fianchi (Dancing Girl with Her Hands on Her Hips) (1805-1812) and Danzatrice col dito al mento (Dancing Girl with Her Finger on Her Chin) (1809-1814).

Canova was born in northern Italy in 1757 and, at fourteen years old, he became an apprentice to the sculptor Giuseppe Bernardi. It was under Bernardi's tutelage that Canova first became fascinated by ancient sculpture. He then went on his Grand Tour of Italy, which helped Canova establish his signature restrained, neoclassical style.

Danzatrice con le mani sui fianchi and Danzatrice col dito al mento are often found as pendants but they were not conceived as such. The original version of the former was commissioned by Josephine Bonaparte to furnish her Château Malmaison and the latter was initially created as a plaster model before Domenico Manzoni di Forli paid Canova to create a marble version. Today this version of Danzatrice con le mani sui fianchi is housed at the Hermitage Museum, Saint Petersburg, while Danzatrice col dito al mento remains in Rome in the collections of the Galleria Nazionale d'Arte Antica.

Although the treatment of the hair of the present pair varies slightly from the original models, they still convey the joy and movement Canova captured in his earlier marble versions.

RELATED LITERATURE

M. Praz and G. Pavanello, L'opera completa del Canova, Milan 1981, pp. 112-3 and pp. 120-121, nos. 172, 203 and 231