Lot number 3127 - Auction 155
GROSSE PAULINE BONAPARTE ALS 'VENUS VICTRIX'

ANTONIO CANOVA 1757 Passagno - 1822 Venice (follower of the 19th/20th century) GRAND PAULINE BONAPARTE AS 'VENUS VICTRIX' Marble, fully sculpted, reclining on a chaise longue and marble pedestal as base. Total height 169 cm, W 122, D 44 cm. Monogrammed 'A.C.' on the back. Figure H. 62, W 122, D 43 cm, bench H. 65, W 117, D 44 cm, pedestal H. 42, W 108, D 36 cm. Large-format depiction of the famous Pauline Bonaparte as 'Venus Victrix', a major work of Italian classicism. Canova created the original between 1805 and 1808 for Camillo Borghese. It is considered an iconic example of the combination of ancient ideal form and contemporary portraiture. Pauline appears as a victorious Venus in a relaxed pose, an allusion to beauty, power, and mythological transfiguration. The calm, balanced composition and the smooth, idealized surface treatment correspond to the classicist ideal of beauty of the early 19th century. Partially damaged and rubbed, minor dents and edge abrasions. Provenance: Private collection, Netherlands.