Pauline Bonaparte as Venus Victrix Marble Sculpture After Antonio Canova
This is a fine marble sculpture of the semi-nude Pauline Bonaparte as Venus Victorius, after the original by Antonio Canova (1757-1822). Measures: 28.5 x 16 x 5 in; 72.5 x 41 x 12.7 cm. One of the greatest neoclassical sculptors of his generation, Canova completed the life-size commission from Pauline's husband, Camilo Borghese, following their marriage. The original has resided in the Galleria Borghese in Roma since 1838. It is one of history's most revered examples of neoclassical sculpture, reviving the ancient Roman tradition of portraying mortals as gods, and depicting the female form in a classic pose, reclined, semi-nude on a chaise. Condition is very good. There is the usual degree of surface accumulated in its crevices. The small finger on the figure's right was broken and reattached, and there are some small chips to the edges of the foot.
