antonia canova, pauline borghese as venus victrix Flashcards
year
1805-1808
material
very high quality marble, elevates status of peice and connotes purity to sitter
what was the process used
-numerous prepatory sketches
-models form into life aize clay version
-cast a plaster model of clay model (which he marked up with points that were transferred to a marble block0
-assistants would carve marble into shape with a chisel (canova sculpted the form
-he polished the marble with wax to create a fine finish
what was the significance of canavas attention to detail and strenuous process
created a humanistic likeness nto the soft texture of skin (naturalism increases intimacy beween sculpture and spectator)
who is the figure depicted
Pauline Borghese
napoleans wayward sister who was married to camillo borghese (an italian prince) she was 25 at the time
who was paulines husband
camillo borghese
formal analysis (how is she depicted, what is she doing etc)
semi-nude, life size reclining woman (nude portraits were unusual for the time)
-reclines on a pillowed couch depicted in a pose of studied grace (concentrated and relaxed at same time)
-her fingers on her right hand are slightly connected to the nape of her neck (suggestive)
-head raised slightly like someone entered line of vision
hair is a mass of curles with careful texture (recalls greek art)
significance of the mass of curls on her head
-shows technical mastery
-recalls ancient greek art (adds status and further likens her to Venus)
-created using undercutting via a drill
what are the classical features of this peice
marble
defined curly hair
nude (reclining nude)
what is the texture of the sculpture like
polished with wax for smooth and human like skin
chisels and undercutting used to make the masses of curls
how can we identify venus
in the guise of venus (revival of classical art)
apple identifies her as venus (as the goddess was waraded a golden apple in the judgement of Paris that she was more beautiful than minerva and Juno)
erotic and seductive pose
couch
carved from a diffret type of marble
The cushions and linens of the couch are rendered with great naturalism.
The wooden base of the couch is depicted as having rhythmically flowing drapery, much like on a catafalque.
shows high schill of marble carving and technical mastery
style
neoclassical (canova was leading influence of thus style)
influenced by ancient greeks and romans (based off of archelogical studies of Pompeii)
influences
greek statuary (sensuous pose, mythical themeand semi nudity recall hellenistic works like venus de milo
inspired by works he acquired for the Vatican
titans venus of Urbino
why did she marry camillo borghese
to enhance napoleans claims to italy so that he could establish a a pan-European dynasty
what happened to pauline in 1804
became the imperial french princess when napolean established himself as first governer of france
what did napolean make her in 1806
*In 1806, Napoleon made his sister sovereign Princess and Duchess of Guastalla; however, she soon sold the duchy to Parma for six million francs, keeping only the title of Princess of Guastalla
where did she pose for this
rome, after her marriage into the borghese family
There is little doubt that the princess, who was proud of her body, actually posed for it in the flesh.
who was she origionally meant to be depicted as
*Originally Canova was to depict Pauline as Diana, the chaste goddess of the moon and the hunt, a role that would have required her to be clothed. But Pauline insisted on Venus. She had a reputation for promiscuity and enjoyed courting controversy and posing naked for Canova would certainly have raised a few eyebrows.
why di pauline pose so promisuisly when it was frowned upon, why does she depict herself as venus
proud of her body (mweant to be depicted as Diana but pauline insited on Venus)
was depicted as venus because of her promiscuous reputation
wanted to align her beauty to venus’s
flaunts status likening her to a goddess
who was the patron
camillo borghese in honour of his wife after marriage
how was intimacy heightened at display
gaze, nudity, candlelight with wax and polish finish
how old whats pauline at this time and what was her life like
*When this was sculpted, Pauline was 25, living a worldly life and at the height of her social powers - Camillo Borghese was a prince, so her marriage made her a princess
Upon her arrival in Rome her fame and beauty made her popular for a time, but eventually Roman society became repulsed by her pretensions and by her constant complaints about Camillo’s impotence. In addition, her affairs were notorious. Less than a year after the marriage, her brother wrote from Paris complaining of her behaviour:
how is this a revival of ancient roman tradition
-use of marble
-A revival of the ancient Roman artistic tradition of portraying mortal individuals in the guise of Gods.
-Her hair is a mass of curls - an imitation of ancient Greek styles as was the fashion of the day.
In Greek and Roman art the reclining female figure is often found on sarcophagus lids.
Canova clearly based his work on Greek statuary – the sensuous pose and the semi-nude body recall Hellenistic works such as Venus de Milo and the reclining figure has parallels on Roman sarcophagus lids
story of venus victrix and the golden apple
the goddess was awarded the Golden Apple in the Judgement of Paris. The story comes from Ancient Greece whereby Paris, a Trojan Prince, judged Aphrodite (Venus) to be more beautiful than her rivals – Athena (Minerva) and Hera (Juno).
which epithet of venus is this
,Venus was given a number of epithets. Venus Victrix (Venus the Victorious), was one of the them
In neo-classical art, her epithet as Victrix is often used in the sense of Venus as victorious over men’s hearts.
scale
life size
how is tactile quality prought out
*Tactile quality of the sculpture is brought out particularly in the way the sitter’s own hands are occupied.
*The fingers on her right hand are connected ever so slightly with the nape of her neck - quite suggestive.
pose
reclining nude
studied grace
Both concentrated and relaxed at the same time.
hand touches the nape of her neck- suggestive
head
*Head raised slightly suggesting that someone has just entered her line of vision.
canova’s role in neoclassisism
-leading neoclassissist
- His knowledge of ancient sculpture would have been enhanced by his role as Inspector General of Antiquities and Fine Art of the Papal States, and the fact that he was responsible for acquiring works for the Vatican Museums
what was neoclassicism influenced by
*Neoclassicism, influenced by the archaeological discoveries in Pompeii and Herculaneum, looked back to the achievements of the Greeks and the Romans with renewed interest.
Renaissance influence
Titian’s Venus of Urbino (Renaissance)
renaissance was also and era of classical revival
why does she align herself as venus
-proud of her body
-famous for promiscuity (had many affairs, napolean even wrote to her condeoming her actions from france)
Aligning herself and her beauty with that of Venus suggests confidence as well as a desire to exalt her social and dynastic rank.
The Borghese family believed themselves to be descended from the heroic founder of Rome, Aeneas, who according to Virgil was the son of Venus. The choice then was not only suited to Pauline’s wayward and flirtatious character, but also would have been met with approval by the Borghese family, the subject suggesting continuity between the ancient and the modern worlds.
where was this work situated
It moved to Camillo’s house in Turin, then to Genoa, only arriving in the Borghese Gallery in 1838.
Camillo refused to allow the sculpture to leave his residence, and only allowed few people to see it. Still, knowledge of the existence of the sculpture was widespread and increased the notoriety of both artist and subject.
The room in the Galleria Borghese, where the sculpture is displayed today, has a ceiling painting portraying the Judgement of Paris.
origional function of the wooden base
The wooden base once had a mechanism for rotating the sculpture. This was so that the viewer could observe it from all angles without moving.
would have displayed the fine extent of naturalism
what audience was it intended for
*Intended for a private audience sophisticated enough to appreciate the classical allusions.
*But, given Pauline’s infidelities, the sculpture also served to confirm the rumours about her.
