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Antonio Canova

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Artist

The Resume

    (November 1, 1757-October 13, 1822)
    Born in Possagno, Italy
    Neo-classical sculptor
    Appointed inspector general of fine arts and antiquities for the Papal States (1805)
    Notable works include 'Apollo Crowning Himself,' 'Theseus Vanquishing the Minotaur,' 'The Three Graces,' 'Perseus with the Head of Medusa,' 'Napoleon as Mars the Peacemaker' and 'Paulina Bonaparte as Venus Victrix'

Why he might be annoying:

    He was a fussy perfectionist who would take works back after they were sold to make additional adjustments.
    Critics of the late 19th and early 20th centuries dismissed his work as uninspired and merely imitative of ancient art.
    He was a Francophobe who was still willing to take commissions from members of the Bonaparte family.

Why he might not be annoying:

    He headed a delegation that traveled to Paris to retrieve art works that had been looted from Italy by Napoleon.
    His figures were so realistic, he was accused of making casts from live models.
    Similarly, spectators who first saw 'Theseus Vanquishing the Minotaur' were surprised to learn it was an original sculpture and not a copy of an ancient Greek statue.
    He created memorably sensual nudes.

Credit: C. Fishel


Featured in the following Annoying Collections:

Year In Review:

    For 2024, as of last weekly ranking, Out of 1 Votes: 0% Annoying
    In 2022, Out of 3 Votes: 66.67% Annoying
    In 2021, Out of 7 Votes: 57.14% Annoying
    In 2020, Out of 2 Votes: 100% Annoying
    In 2019, Out of 5 Votes: 100% Annoying
    In 2018, Out of 2 Votes: 50.0% Annoying
    In 2017, Out of 2 Votes: 50.0% Annoying
    In 2016, Out of 3 Votes: 66.67% Annoying
    In 2015, Out of 4 Votes: 75.00% Annoying
    In 2014, Out of 10 Votes: 50.0% Annoying
    In 2013, Out of 7 Votes: 57.14% Annoying
    In 2012, Out of 7 Votes: 71.43% Annoying
    In 2011, Out of 8 Votes: 87.50% Annoying
    In 2010, Out of 9 Votes: 66.67% Annoying