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Venus Italica

Venus Italica is a marble sculpture commissioned by Napoléon Bonaparte and fashioned by the Italian sculptor Antonio Canova. Canova completed the original work in 1802 and later modelled two further variants, finished in 1819. The sculpture was intended as a replacement for the Venus de Medici, an antique copy by Cleomenes of Athens that had been seized, taken to France, and placed in the Louvre in 1802 by order of Bonaparte. After Napoleon’s abdication, the Venus de Medici was returned to Italy in 1815 and is now displayed in the Room of Venus at the Galleria Palatina in the Palazzo Pitti in Florence.

Sepia photograph of the Venus Italica marble statue, shown full-length against a dark background.
The Venus Italica shown in a sepia-toned studio photograph.
© Rijksmuseum · CC0
Venus Italica standing marble statue with draped cloth, turned to the right on a round pedestal.
Venus Italica shown in a sepia photograph of the marble sculpture standing on a pedestal.
© Rijksmuseum · CC0
Venus Italica marble statue standing on a round pedestal, partially draped and facing right.
Venus Italica shown in a sepia-toned photograph, standing on a pedestal with partial drapery.
© Rijksmuseum · CC0
Venus Italica by Canova, a standing female sculpture with arms crossed over her chest and draped fabric.
Venus Italica by Antonio Canova, shown as a standing female figure with draped fabric.
© Rijksmuseum · CC0
Back view of Venus Italica, a classical nude female statue standing on a circular plinth with drapery over one leg.
Engraving of Venus Italica shown from the back, with drapery falling over one leg.
© Rijksmuseum · CC0

Identification

TitleVenus Italica
TypeMarble sculpture

Historical context

Date1805
Model usedWorked from the original mold of the Venus de' Medici preserved at the Louvre
Later locationGalleria Palatina, Palazzo Pitti, Florence
First public display1812 in the Uffizi, labeled "Stolen by the Emperor"
Related work current locationRoom of Venus, Galleria Palatina, Palazzo Pitti, Florence
Related workVenus de' Medici: a Roman copy of an ancient work by Cleomenes of Athens, seized by order of Napoleon and placed in the Louvre in 1802, then returned to the Uffizi on 27 December 1815
Additional versionsTwo further variants were completed in 1819
InspirationInspired by the Venus de' Medici
PurposeCreated as compensation for the transfer of the Venus de' Medici to France and intended to replace it in the Uffizi
Commission date1804
Commissioned byGiovanni degli Alessandri, president of the Florence Academy of Fine Arts
StyleNeoclassical
Historical contextCreated in the context of the Napoleonic plunder and the removal of the Venus de' Medici from Florence in 1802

Creator

ArtistAntonio Canova
Artist nationalityItalian

Physical characteristics

Surface colorSoft rosy-pink tint
SubjectThe goddess Venus in the Venus pudica pose
Depicted actionShe is hiding behind a drape or towel, apparently surprised by someone’s arrival
Formal qualitiesFiner proportions; modest movements; softness and emotion

Iconography and meaning

Iconographic themeVenus Pudica

Materials

MaterialMarble
MaterialsWhite and pink marble

Technique

Finishing processHe softened the transitions between body parts and rubbed the surface with special tools and pumice stone for weeks or months
Patina treatmentAn unknown patina compound was applied to the flesh to lighten the skin tone
Lighting practiceCanova displayed the work in his studio by candlelight
Lighting effect studiedHe was interested in the effect of candlelight on the translucent marble surface
Surface treatmentA soft pinkish mixture was spread over the surface to enhance the goddess's beauty
Finishing process name"Last touch"
TechniqueCanova's "direct touch" technique for creating the illusion of human flesh

Significance

Literary praiseFoscolo also praised it in The Graces
StatusConsidered one of Canova's masterpieces
PopularityIt achieved great popularity and was widely reproduced in many sizes and materials
Theoretical influenceDeliberately follows Johann Joachim Winckelmann's theories, especially the search for ideal beauty, the distancing from passions and emotions, and "noble simplicity and quiet grandeur"
Literary comparisonUgo Foscolo praised it as superior to the Venus de' Medici, saying it brought "paradise" into "this valley of tears"
Critical interpretationAccording to Edward Lucie-Smith, it conveys modesty and sexual vulnerability better than the Venus de' Medici
ReceptionPraised for artistic conception and craftsmanship; most viewers noticed Canova's superior skill in marble surfaces and textures
Aesthetic aimTo evoke the tenderness of flesh, its soft vibration, and movement in space through the free articulation of the body and delicate nuances

Location and ownership

Original intended locationThe Uffizi in Florence
Current locationRoom of Venus, Galleria Palatina, Palazzo Pitti, Florence
ReproductionsLater replicas and reduced-scale versions were made by Canova's assistants and other artists; examples are in Venice, Berlin, Munich, and Hearst Castle, Los Angeles