AFTER ANTONIO CANOVA (ITALIAN, 1757-1822)

The present marble is based on the celebrated sculpture (dated circa 1805-1808) by Antonio Canova of Pauline Borghese, sister of Napoleon Bonaparte and wife of Prince Camillo Borghese, which is today in the Villa Borghese in Rome. Canova was renowned for his neo-classical sculpture which skilfully intertwined Antique influences with modern artistic ideals, in this case representing the famed Roman Princess in the guise of Venus Victrix clutching an apple in her hand after being declared the winner of the infamous Judgment of Paris. Like many famous models of the late 18th and early 19th centuries, it was reproduced with some frequency at the turn of the 20th century to meet a burgeoning European and American demand for reproductions of famed Roman sculptures. Of nearly identical size to the original, this rare marble would have appealed to a wealthy grand tourist who had admired Canova’s masterpiece during a visit to the Eternal City.