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By Antonio Canova (Possagno, November 1, 1757 - Venice, October 13, 1822), Leoni

19th Century

About the Item

By Antonio Canova (Possagno, November 1, 1757 - Venice, October 13, 1822) Vigilant Lion and Sleeping Lion Stucco on marble base, 28 x 40 x 15 cm The two terracottas echo the iconographic and stylistic dictates of a famous pair of Canova figures, the Waking Lion and the Sleeping Lion, which the artist sculpted for the tomb of Pope Clement XIII, born Carlo Rezzonico, between 1783 and 1792. The tomb of Clement XIII constitutes one of Antonio Canova's most ambitious and sophisticated projects in terms of sculpture of a funerary nature: this, in fact, is designed and built on three different levels. The first is occupied by the two admirable lions, one waking and the other sleeping, that protect the access to the tomb while at the sides are positioned the Genius of Death and Religion; the second level is occupied by the sarcophagus containing the pontiff's remains while at the top of the composition is positioned a full-length portrait of Clement XIII, depicted as kneeling on a cushion while praying, who, as a sign of humility, has laid his tiara on the ground. The two lions placed inside St. Peter's Basilica in the Vatican were so successful that the artist wanted to replicate the sleeping lion for the funeral monument of Maria Christina of Austria. Stylistically, it seems undeniable that the two felines of the papal tomb, and even the second version, were masterfully sculpted by Canova. The pose of the legs, the manes, the attitude of the animals and their expressions make these majestic animals seem throbbing and alive.
  • Creation Year:
    19th Century
  • Dimensions:
    Height: 11.03 in (28 cm)Width: 15.75 in (40 cm)Depth: 5.91 in (15 cm)
  • Medium:
  • Circle Of:
    Antonio Canova (1757 - 1822, Italian)
  • Period:
  • Condition:
  • Gallery Location:
    Milan, IT
  • Reference Number:
    1stDibs: LU2639216356012

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