Antonio Canova
Antonio Canova (1757 – 1822) was an Italian sculptor and painter, considered the greatest exponent of neoclassicism in sculpture and for this reason nicknamed "the new Phidias". Antonio Canova expresses in his creations the search for perfection, beauty and purity of ancient art, with a completely new attention to making faces and body attitudes more expressive and human.
The precision of the lines, the shapes and the delicacy of the surfaces of his models are the reasons why he is considered among the greatest sculptors of all time, capable of equaling and surpassing the ancient splendor of Greco-Roman sculptures.
Canova apprenticed with him in Venice. In 1779 he moved to Rome, where he resided for the rest of his life; Although he traveled often, mainly for stays abroad or to return to his places of origin, the city always represented an essential point of reference for him.