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Antonio Canova was the foremost sculptor of Neoclassicism, whose works were celebrated for their serene beauty and technical perfection. Canova moved away from Baroque tradition towards a more restrained aesthetic inspired by classical antiquities — he remains one of the most well-known artists of the 18th century.

Born in Possagno, Northern Italy, in 1757, Canova grew up in a family of stonecutters and sculptors. When he was 11, he become the apprentice to sculptor Giuseppe Bernardi, and he later attended the Accademia di Belle Arti in Venice. The artist carved his first marbles when he was around 20 — Eurydice (c.1776), Orpheus (c.1776) and Daedalus and Icarus (1779). An important part of Canova’s practice was first working out his ideas in clay before producing them at full-size in marble.

Canova went on to secure patronage from Venetian aristocrats, which enabled him to travel to Rome in 1779. There, immersed in ancient and modern sculptures, he established his own studio. Canova’s 1782 work Theseus and the Minotaur marked the start of the revival of a classical style. The artist became renowned for his carving abilities, working with marble surfaces in such a way that they appeared lifelike.

Throughout the 1780s and 1790s, Canova attracted commissions from Europe's most powerful patrons. The artist’s work included the tombs of Pope Clement XIV and Pope Clement XIII, which established him as the leading sculptor in Rome. Canova also sculpted Napoleon Bonaparte and created a portrait of his sister Paolina Borghese, who he depicted as the Venus Victorious (1808).

The artist also sculpted mythological compositions, most notably The Three Graces (c.1817). His works embodied ideals of grace and restraint, with figures presented in delicately balanced poses. The artist once wrote in a letter: ‘Better study Greek examples day and night, be steeped in their style, impress it in your mind; and then develop your own style, but always looking to beautiful nature, seeking in it those same principles.’

When Canova died in 1822, he was mourned across Europe. The artist had spent the last years of his life working on the design and construction of a church known as the Tempio Canoviano, located in his hometown of Possagno. Canova died before works on the church could be completed, though his body was entombed there. The artist’s right-hand — which he used to sculpt — was separately preserved at the academy where he first studied in Venice.