- 126
After Antonio Canova (1757-1822) Italian, 19th century
Estimate
100,000 - 150,000 GBP
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Description
- Paolina Borghese Bonaparte as Venus Victorious
- white marble on a painted wood base
- After Antonio Canova (1757-1822) Italian, 19th century
Condition
Overall the condition of the marble is very good. There is naturally occuring veining to the marble consistent with the material, in particular across the shoulders, arms and chest. The surface of the marble has recently been waxed. Two of the tassels of the top cushion have been reattached. There are a few very small traces of gilding.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."
Catalogue Note
Antonio Canova's Paolina Borghese Bonaparte as Venus Victorious belongs to the sculptor's series of Napoleonic portraits celebrating their sitters as gods and heroes of the ancient world. Canova, a favourite of the Emperor, carved Napoleon's portrait fully nude in the character of Mars the Peacemaker (1803-6) in a marble now at Apsley House (Praz and Pavanello, op. cit., pp. 109-10, no. 143). Madame Mère, as Napoleon's mother Letizia was known, was cast in the role of Agrippina in her marble portrait (1804-7) now at Chatsworth (Praz and Pavanello, op. cit., p.110, no. 147). It fell to Napoleon's lively sister Paolina to take on the mantle of the goddess of beauty and love.
The extraordinary portrait was commissioned by Paolina's second husband Camillo Borghese (1775 –1832). The marriage was initially a happy one and Borghese approached Canova to request a grand portrait of his wife in the first months after their wedding in 1803. Canova intended to depict Paolina in the character of Diana, however the princess herself objected, preferring the guise of Venus. The goddess had an association with the Borghese family, who claimed to be descendants of Romulus, the founder of Rome. Romulus himself was descended from Aeneas, whose mother was the goddess of love.
However, the choice proved an unfortunate one as the depiction as Venus was, in the popular imagination, more easily associated with Paolina's many well-known indiscretions. The nudity of the portrait caused a scandal and the Prince felt obliged to remove it to a private room. There was malicious talk of the brazen immorality of the Emperor's sister. Many believed that she posed nude for the sculptor. She appears to have been unmoved by her detractors, even issuing the legendary riposte: 'I was not cold; there was a stove' to one critic who ventured to censure her. In fact it is not known whether Pauline indeed posed nude for the sculptor. She would certainly have sat for the modelling of the head. A head of Pauline, closely related to the Venus, was finished in 1807, a year before the marble group was completed.
The Venus Victorious relates to Renaissance and contemporary painting, rather than following an antique model. Giorgione and Titian's Sleeping Venus, in the Gemäldegalerie Alte Meister Dresden, is often cited as a prototype and the painter also seems to refer to Jacques-Louis David's portrait of Madame Récamier, reclining on her divan of 1800. In particular Madame Récamier's pose, her back directed to the viewer, but her head turned to invite their gaze, is echoed in the secondary view of Venus, where the goddess seems to glance at the viewer over the long curve of her back.
Despite the controversy, Venus Victorious became emblematic of the great Canova's oeuvre. The model was frequently produced after the artist's death in reduced dimensions. However, the present life-size marble is exceedingly rare. It replicates the poise of the original, with the delicate gestures of the right hand supporting the head whilst the left langorously holds the apple, which was Venus's prize from Paris. The soft flesh of the torso and back is carefully copied from the dexterous carving of the original.
RELATED LITERATURE
F. Elliot, Roman Gossip, London, 1894, pp. 210-238; A. Coliva and F. Mazzocca, Canove e la Venere Vincitrice, exhib. cat., Villa Borghese, Rome, 2007-8, pp. 221-5; M. Praz and G. Pavanello, L'Opera completa del Canova, Milan, 1981, pp. 111-2, nos. 165-6
The extraordinary portrait was commissioned by Paolina's second husband Camillo Borghese (1775 –1832). The marriage was initially a happy one and Borghese approached Canova to request a grand portrait of his wife in the first months after their wedding in 1803. Canova intended to depict Paolina in the character of Diana, however the princess herself objected, preferring the guise of Venus. The goddess had an association with the Borghese family, who claimed to be descendants of Romulus, the founder of Rome. Romulus himself was descended from Aeneas, whose mother was the goddess of love.
However, the choice proved an unfortunate one as the depiction as Venus was, in the popular imagination, more easily associated with Paolina's many well-known indiscretions. The nudity of the portrait caused a scandal and the Prince felt obliged to remove it to a private room. There was malicious talk of the brazen immorality of the Emperor's sister. Many believed that she posed nude for the sculptor. She appears to have been unmoved by her detractors, even issuing the legendary riposte: 'I was not cold; there was a stove' to one critic who ventured to censure her. In fact it is not known whether Pauline indeed posed nude for the sculptor. She would certainly have sat for the modelling of the head. A head of Pauline, closely related to the Venus, was finished in 1807, a year before the marble group was completed.
The Venus Victorious relates to Renaissance and contemporary painting, rather than following an antique model. Giorgione and Titian's Sleeping Venus, in the Gemäldegalerie Alte Meister Dresden, is often cited as a prototype and the painter also seems to refer to Jacques-Louis David's portrait of Madame Récamier, reclining on her divan of 1800. In particular Madame Récamier's pose, her back directed to the viewer, but her head turned to invite their gaze, is echoed in the secondary view of Venus, where the goddess seems to glance at the viewer over the long curve of her back.
Despite the controversy, Venus Victorious became emblematic of the great Canova's oeuvre. The model was frequently produced after the artist's death in reduced dimensions. However, the present life-size marble is exceedingly rare. It replicates the poise of the original, with the delicate gestures of the right hand supporting the head whilst the left langorously holds the apple, which was Venus's prize from Paris. The soft flesh of the torso and back is carefully copied from the dexterous carving of the original.
RELATED LITERATURE
F. Elliot, Roman Gossip, London, 1894, pp. 210-238; A. Coliva and F. Mazzocca, Canove e la Venere Vincitrice, exhib. cat., Villa Borghese, Rome, 2007-8, pp. 221-5; M. Praz and G. Pavanello, L'Opera completa del Canova, Milan, 1981, pp. 111-2, nos. 165-6