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Lot Essay
In 1804, Prince Camillo Borghese commissioned a marble portrait of his wife, Napoleon's sister Princess Paolina, from the virtuoso sculptor Antonio Canova. The artist's initial intention to represent Paolina as the virgin huntress Diana met with great opposition from his subject - the result of this conflict was her famous portrayal in the guise of Venus Triumphans housed in the Villa Borghese in Rome.
The present sculpture is a revival of Canova's theme, a homage to one of the great man's masterpieces. However, unlike many copies of famous works from the late 19th Century, this is not a bronze made in a large edition but is instead a tribute, carved in alabaster, to Canova's great work.
The present sculpture is a revival of Canova's theme, a homage to one of the great man's masterpieces. However, unlike many copies of famous works from the late 19th Century, this is not a bronze made in a large edition but is instead a tribute, carved in alabaster, to Canova's great work.