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Tomb of Pope Clement XIV

The Tomb of Pope Clement XIV is a neoclassical stone monument and sculptural tableau in Santi Apostoli, Rome, created by the Venetian sculptor Antonio Canova. It was commissioned by the merchant Carlo Giorgi and completed in 1787, thirteen years after the pope’s death. Canova used carrara marble and lumachella in the tomb’s construction. The monument stands in the church where Pope Clement XIV had served as Cardinal-Priest before being elected pontiff. The figure of Pope Clemens XIV atop the tomb is said to reference St. John the Baptist.

Tomb of Pope Clement XIV with a seated pope figure above two mourning women beside a sarcophagus
Tomb of Pope Clement XIV, designed by Antonio Canova, showing the seated pontiff and mourning figures below.
© Rijksmuseum · CC0
Tomb of Pope Clement XIV by Antonio Canova, showing a seated pope above two draped female figures and a sarcophagus
Antonio Canova’s Tomb of Pope Clement XIV features a seated papal figure above two mourning figures and a sarcophagus.
October 2009 © · CC BY-SA 3.0
Tomb of Pope Clement XIV, a grand marble funerary monument with a crowned figure at the top and two mourning figures below.
The Tomb of Pope Clement XIV in Rome, showing Antonio Canova’s marble funerary monument.
© ignote · Public domain
Canova’s Tomb of Pope Clement XIV, a grand sepia-toned marble monument with a pope-like figure at the top and two draped figures flanking the sarcophagus below.
Antonio Canova’s Tomb of Pope Clement XIV, shown in a sepia-toned photograph of the monumental marble sculpture.
© Canova, Antonio (Italian Neo-classical sculptor, 1757-1822) (artist) · Public domain
White marble statue of Pope Clement XIV from his tomb, seated in elaborate robes with one arm raised.
The seated marble figure of Pope Clement XIV from his tomb at Santi Apostoli in Rome.
September 2018 © · CC BY-SA 4.0

Identification

TitleTomb of Pope Clement XIV
Original titleMonumento funerario di Clemente XIV
Original French titleLe Tombeau de Clément XIV
TypeNeoclassical funerary monument and sculptural tableaux
SubjectPope Clement XIV (1705–1774)

Historical context

Pope commemoratedPope Clement XIV
Pope's backgroundClement XIV was a member of the Conventual Franciscans
Papal contextDuring his pontificate he showed a modest adherence to Enlightenment ideas and suppressed the Society of Jesus in 1773 with the papal document Dominus ac Redemptor

Creator

SculptorAntonio Canova
Sculptor nationalityVenetian

Discovery and provenance

Commissioned byCarlo Giorgi, a merchant
Commissioning contextCarlo Giorgi was directed by Giovanni Volpato and Gravin Hamilton and commissioned the monument in gratitude for benefits received from Pope Clement XIV
Date of creation1783–1787
Completion date1787
Time from Pope's death to completion13 years

Materials

MaterialsCarrara marble and lumachella

Physical characteristics

ScaleGrand mausoleum
StyleNeoclassical
CompositionFigures are arranged asymmetrically but in a balanced way
Geometric formUses geometric forms

Appearance

Pope's posePope Clement XIV stands at the top of the monument with his right arm raised in a warning gesture
Pope's interpretationThe gesture presents the pope as governor of the Catholic world and is said to reference St. John the Baptist
TemperanceLeaning over the sarcophagus with a calm, resigned expression
Mildness (Mansuetudine)Head bowed, curled up on herself, with arms intertwined on her lap, reflecting on the fate of humanity

Location and ownership

Current locationLeft nave of the Basilica dei Santi Apostoli, Rome
Associated churchThe Basilica of the Holy Apostles, where Clement XIV had been cardinal-priest before becoming pope
Site jurisdictionThe basilica and adjoining convent are under the jurisdiction of the Conventual Franciscans, whose general curia is there
Plaster replica locationGipsoteca canoviana, Possagno

History and restoration

Artistic significanceCanova's first brilliant attempt at a crucial funerary type that would occupy him thereafter
Historical significanceThis composition codified a new form of funerary monument