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Lot Essay
This imposing marble copy of Antonio Canova's magnum opus The Three Graces depicts the nymphs Aglaia, Euphrosyne and Thalia - often referred to in art as the handmaidens of Venus or described as the three phases of love: Beauty, arousing Desire, leading to Fulfilment.
Antonio Canova's first group of The Three Graces was commissioned by Empress Josephine in 1812, though the marble was completed after her death in 1816 and taken to Monaco by her son, Eugène de Beauharnais. On the latter's death in 1824, the group became the property of the Duke of Leuchtenburg and was transported to St. Petersburg, where it is now kept in the Hermitage. In 1815, John Russell, the 6th Duke of Bedford, commissioned a second version of the group from Canova. The marble was completed in 1817 and installed in Woburn Abbey two years later. It was acquired in 1994 jointly by the V&A, London, and the National Galleries of Scotland, Edinburgh. This second version of the group is slightly smaller and varies in some details, primarily the rectangular pedestal behind the maidens, which is transformed into a round column, thus making the present group a copy derived from Canova's second version.
Following Canova's death in 1822 his brother and sole heir Giovanni Battista (d. 1858) arranged for the contents of the Rome studio to be moved to Possagno, commissioning Francesco Lazzari (d. 1871) to build a museum, the Casa del Canova, to preserve the plasters, marbles and paintings. Having closed the studio in Rome and established the Casa del Canova to safeguard the works of Canova, it is unlikely that the Giovanni Battista would have allowed reproductions during his lifetime. However, a renewed appreciation for Canova's oeuvre emerged during the mid-to-late 19th century, and the opening of Florentine workshops saw a flourish of faithful reproductions, many of which sought to pay homage to the sensitivity and delicacy of Canova's original. Giuseppe Obici would have been one such artist capitalizing on the demand for iconic Neoclassic works.
Following his studies at the l'Academia di Carrara and subsequent apprenticeship in the studio of sculptor Piètro Tenerani, Obici established his own studio and became widely known for his religious and civic commissions.
An exceptionally-carved mid-19th century example of The Three Graces sold Christie's, London, 14 March 2013, lot 200 (£505,875).
Antonio Canova's first group of The Three Graces was commissioned by Empress Josephine in 1812, though the marble was completed after her death in 1816 and taken to Monaco by her son, Eugène de Beauharnais. On the latter's death in 1824, the group became the property of the Duke of Leuchtenburg and was transported to St. Petersburg, where it is now kept in the Hermitage. In 1815, John Russell, the 6th Duke of Bedford, commissioned a second version of the group from Canova. The marble was completed in 1817 and installed in Woburn Abbey two years later. It was acquired in 1994 jointly by the V&A, London, and the National Galleries of Scotland, Edinburgh. This second version of the group is slightly smaller and varies in some details, primarily the rectangular pedestal behind the maidens, which is transformed into a round column, thus making the present group a copy derived from Canova's second version.
Following Canova's death in 1822 his brother and sole heir Giovanni Battista (d. 1858) arranged for the contents of the Rome studio to be moved to Possagno, commissioning Francesco Lazzari (d. 1871) to build a museum, the Casa del Canova, to preserve the plasters, marbles and paintings. Having closed the studio in Rome and established the Casa del Canova to safeguard the works of Canova, it is unlikely that the Giovanni Battista would have allowed reproductions during his lifetime. However, a renewed appreciation for Canova's oeuvre emerged during the mid-to-late 19th century, and the opening of Florentine workshops saw a flourish of faithful reproductions, many of which sought to pay homage to the sensitivity and delicacy of Canova's original. Giuseppe Obici would have been one such artist capitalizing on the demand for iconic Neoclassic works.
Following his studies at the l'Academia di Carrara and subsequent apprenticeship in the studio of sculptor Piètro Tenerani, Obici established his own studio and became widely known for his religious and civic commissions.
An exceptionally-carved mid-19th century example of The Three Graces sold Christie's, London, 14 March 2013, lot 200 (£505,875).