Items Similar to The Three Graces from the V&A Portfolio Limited Edition print
Want more images or videos?
Request additional images or videos from the seller
1 of 4
Antonio CanovaThe Three Graces from the V&A Portfolio Limited Edition printcirca 1817 (printed 2021)
circa 1817 (printed 2021)
About the Item
Detail of The Three Graces, Antonio Canova (1757-1822), National Collection of Sculpture, Victoria and Albert Museum
© Victoria and Albert Museum, London
Beautiful Extra Large 60 x 40 inches / 152 x 101 cm's Oversize archival pigment print
Unframed.
Limited edition to 5 only this size
From the Galerie Prints V&A PORTFOLIO.
A stunning visual archive of over 200 images selected from the collections of the Victoria and Albert Museum,
the world’s leading museum of art, design and performance.
Certificate of authenticity provided.
Object Type
This marble figure group was made for the Sculpture Gallery at Woburn Abbey, Bedfordshire, and was originally housed in a specially designed Temple of the Graces. It was commissioned from Antonio Canova (1757-1822) by John Russell, 6th Duke of Bedford, who visited the sculptor in his studio in Rome in 1814, and was captivated by the group of the Three Graces which Canova had carved for the Empress Josephine, the estranged wife of Napoleon Bonaparte. She had died in May of that year, and the Duke offered to buy the group from Canova, but Josephine's son claimed it, and that version is now in the Hermitage, St Petersburg. The Duke commissioned a second version from Canova; this was begun in 1814, finished in 1817, and installed at Woburn in 1819. It cost 6,000 zechinni, equivalent to £3000. Canova came over to England to supervise the installation. In the Temple it was displayed on a pedestal adapted from an earlier marble plinth, with a rotating top.
Subject Depicted
The Three Graces, celebrated in classical literature and art, were the daughters of Jupiter (or Zeus in Greek mythology), and companions to the Muses. Thalia (youth and beauty) is accompanied by Euphrosyne (mirth), and Aglaia (elegance). Canova had first depicted the Graces in a painting of 1799, and other drawings and a relief of the subject are also known to have been executed by him at around the same time. In 1810 he modelled a terracotta sketch (Musée de Lyon, France), and in 1812 the Empress Josephine ordered a full-size marble.
Materials & Making
Canova's marble group is based ultimately on his earlier drawings of the subject, and a closely comparable terracotta sketch model (see above). The immediate model for the marble used in the studio was the full-size plaster group, which still exists in the Canova Museum at Possagno, Italy. This has points on it which were used to transfer the composition from the plaster to the marble.
Canova was responsible for the original design of the group, but his assistants would roughly block out the marble. The sculptor himself completed the final carving, and ensured the surface of the stone was finished in such a way as to suggest the soft flesh of the figures and the harmonious relationships between the three heads, for example. The slightly earlier version, now in St Petersburg and similarly supervised by the sculptor though differing in some details, exhibits a high quality of carving. Copies were made in marble during the 19th century after the sculptor's death; these however do not exhibit the same sensitive handling of the marble.
- Creator:Antonio Canova (1757 - 1822, Italian)
- Creation Year:circa 1817 (printed 2021)
- Dimensions:Height: 60 in (152.4 cm)Width: 40 in (101.6 cm)
- Medium:
- Movement & Style:
- Period:
- Condition:
- Gallery Location:London, GB
- Reference Number:
Antonio Canova
Antonio Canova was an Italian Neoclassical sculptor, famous for his marble sculptures. Often regarded as the greatest of the Neoclassical artists
About the Seller
4.9
Platinum Seller
These expertly vetted sellers are 1stDibs' most experienced sellers and are rated highest by our customers.
Established in 2011
1stDibs seller since 2016
637 sales on 1stDibs
Typical response time: 1 hour
- ShippingRetrieving quote...Ships From: London, United Kingdom
- Return PolicyA return for this item may be initiated within 2 days of delivery.
More From This SellerView All
- Oasis 2000 - signed limited editionBy Jill FurmanovskyLocated in London, GBArtist(s): Oasis, Liam Gallagher, Noel Gallagher, Manchester Music Location: Wembley Stadium, London Date: July 2000 Era: The 2000's Edition: hand signed limited edition 7/50 Print t...Category
1990s Modern Figurative Photography
MaterialsArchival Pigment
- Marilyn Monroe Throws the First Pitch - Limited Edition PrintBy Frank WorthLocated in London, GBMonroe Throws the First Pitch 1958 Frank Worth Marilyn Monroe with Ralph Edwards on a baseball diamond, throwing the first pitch to start a game in 1958. Marilyn Monroe was an Am...Category
1950s Modern Black and White Photography
MaterialsArchival Pigment
- James Dean Multitasking - Limited Edition PrintLocated in London, GBJames Dean in Restroom by Globe Photo Archives Hilarious black and white candid shot of actor James Dean talking on the phone while using the re...Category
2010s Modern Black and White Photography
MaterialsArchival Pigment
- The Jam In The City by Martyn Goddard Signed Limited EditionBy Martyn GoddardLocated in London, GBThe Jam In The City By Martyn Goddard Signed Limited Edition The Jam, In The City LP cover viewed through 1974 Hasselblad camera. Shot 1977 All prints are signed and numbered by ...Category
1970s Modern Figurative Photography
MaterialsArchival Pigment
- The Jam by Martyn Goddard Signed Limited EditionBy Martyn GoddardLocated in London, GBThe Jam By Martyn Goddard Signed Limited Edition Songwriter Paul Weller, drummer Rick Buckler and bassist Bruce Foxton of The Jam, 1977. All prints are sig...Category
1970s Modern Figurative Photography
MaterialsArchival Pigment
- George Michael by Martyn Goddard Signed Limited EditionBy Martyn GoddardLocated in London, GBGeorge Michael By Martyn Goddard Signed Limited Edition George Michael of Wham! In a Chinese Government Limo, at the Forbidden City, Beijing during a tour of Hong Kong & China 1985...Category
1980s Modern Figurative Photography
MaterialsArchival Pigment
You May Also Like
- Smile, Little Peconic Bay, Southampton, NY, 2012By Luciana PampaloneLocated in Hudson, NYEach year, Robin Rice celebrates a Salon style exhibition to showcase her gallery artists and invite new ones. With Robin’s extensive experience as a gallery curator, all Robin Rice...Category
Early 2000s Modern Figurative Photography
MaterialsArchival Pigment
- Cote B'asque in White, Cote BasqueBy Kim ReiersonLocated in Hudson, NYEach year, Robin Rice celebrates a Salon style exhibition to showcase her gallery artists and invite new ones. With Robin’s extensive experience as a gallery curator, all Robin Rice...Category
2010s Modern Black and White Photography
MaterialsArchival Pigment
- Marina in NapoliBy Robin RiceLocated in Hudson, NYEach year, Robin Rice celebrates a Salon style exhibition to showcase her gallery artists and invite new ones. With Robin’s extensive experience as a gallery curator, all Robin Rice...Category
Early 2000s Modern Black and White Photography
MaterialsArchival Pigment
- Brian with Eyes Closed with Kim at Sunset, Montecito, CA, 2017By Robin RiceLocated in Hudson, NYEach year, Robin Rice celebrates a Salon style exhibition to showcase her gallery artists and invite new ones. With Robin’s extensive experience as a gallery curator, all Robin Rice...Category
2010s Modern Figurative Photography
MaterialsArchival Pigment
- 0486 Anchor, Cold Spring, NY, 2016Located in Hudson, NYEach year, Robin Rice celebrates a Salon style exhibition to showcase her gallery artists and invite new ones. With Robin’s extensive experience as a gallery curator, all Robin Rice Gallery endeavors are superbly managed. Whether working with corporate clients, interior designers or established collectors, the Robin Rice Gallery guides patrons throughout the selection process, inspiring them to build a stylish collection or striking décor. The Robin Rice Gallery offers a bevy of styles that Robin has procured with her own signature school of artists. Abstract, Black and White, Anchor, Cold Spring...Category
2010s Modern Black and White Photography
MaterialsArchival Pigment
- Graffiti, Chicago, IL, 2002By Robin RiceLocated in Hudson, NYEach year, Robin Rice celebrates a Salon style exhibition to showcase her gallery artists and invite new ones. With Robin’s extensive experience as a gallery curator, all Robin Rice...Category
Early 2000s Modern Black and White Photography
MaterialsArchival Pigment
Recently Viewed
View AllMore Ways To Browse
Dior Around The World
Antique Archives
The Graces
Antique Portfolio
Buy Antique Art
The Empress
Three Muses
White Pedestal Art
Three Graces
The Three Graces
Death Still Sketches
Antique Photography Studio
Temple Relief
Greek Mythology Original Art
Drawing Greek Mythology
Stone Marble Head
Temple Rome Antique
Greek Sculpture Plaster