Immortal Myths in Marble: Neoclassical Sculpture Masterpieces from Canova to Thorvaldsen (Part 5)

Western Art History, Rational and Clear Neoclassicism. Representative Artists of Neoclassicism Painting. 2. Jean-Gustave Dominique Ingres, 1780-1867, France. A distinguished pupil of Jacques-Louis David, Ingres was born in Montabon, southern France. He excelled in historical portrait and genre painting. Emerging as a leading neoclassical artist who firmly opposed the Romantic movement of the 19th century, Ingres possessed a keen sensitivity to the beauty of classical art. His painting style is simple and straightforward, striving for rigorous composition, restrained colors, and elegant imagery. Ingres began his studies at the Toulouse School of Fine Arts in 1791 and joined David. Studio in Paris in 1797. In 1801, he was awarded the prestigious Prix de Rome for his work The Ambassadors of Agamemnon. Prior to 1806, he sustained himself primarily through portrait commissions. After relocating to Italy that year, he remained there for 18 years before returning to Paris in 1824. In 1835, Ingres returned once more to Rome and assumed the position of director at the French Academy in Rome. Following his return to Paris in 1841, he became a staunch academician, using his position to resolutely oppose Romanticism. As an educator, Ingres placed particular importance on geometric structure and precise composition, valuing these elements over rich or expressive use of color. He considered drawing to be the essential foundation of painting. However, living in post-revolutionary France, a time when society was reexamining and challenging traditional values, Ingres chose to distort human anatomy, deliberately altering proportions that did not align with realistic physiology. These distortions were intentional artistic decisions, not mistakes. This approach drew criticism and sparked controversy, especially since it seemed to contradict the very classical principles that Ingres himself had upheld. Two representative works from this period include Jupiter and Thetis, 1811, Aix-en-Provence, in which the female figure is unnaturally elongated and fluid, and the Valpincan Bather, 1814, often referred to as the valet, which also reflects deliberate anatomical distortion. In 1812, Napoleon appointed Ingres to oversee decorative works in the emperor's bedroom at his Roman residence. The following year, Ingres completed The Dream of Ossian, a commissioned work inspired by the legendary poetry attributed to Ossian, a blind bard whose verses were purportedly compiled by Scottish poet James Macpherson. In 1760, Macpherson claimed to have discovered a collection of ancient epics, the poems of Ossian which celebrated the deeds and battles of the Irish hero Fingjel. Napoleon, who took a copy of the poems on his campaign to Moscow, commissioned Ingres to create a work centered on Ossian. Ingres' The Dream of Ossian conveys its theme with a simplicity akin to that of dust and stone sculptures. In his early career, Ingres relied heavily on portraiture to support himself. Though he later resented that these commissions consumed time, he would have Louis-Francois Bertin's 1832 portrait by Ingres is a model of compositional clarity and psychological depth. The subject sits firmly, hands resting on his knees, leaning slightly forward in a pose that forms a stable triangular structure, suggestive of both physical presence and inner strength. His sharp gaze and composed demeanor radiate self-confidence and determination, capturing the essence of a powerful industrialist and the influential founder of the journal Databats. Among Ingres' later masterpieces is Madame Moet de Cyr, seated 1856. The sitter, wife of a wealthy tobacco merchant, was a prominent figure in elite social circles. Ingres once described her as possessing elegant posture, expressive eyes, and magnificent hair. Commissioned in 1844, the work took 12 years to complete. Its lavish detail ornate fabrics, oversized gems, embroidered furniture, oriental porcelain, gilded mirrors, and the sitter's rounded shoulders and graceful wrists reflect both her affluence and Ingres' aesthetic precision. The mirror's subtle reflection expands the visual space, lending the portrait a quiet sense of nobility and composure. Representative artists of neoclassicism, sculpture, a vast number of ancient relics and Greek and Roman statues excavated from historical sites, provided firsthand information for the study of classical art. As a result, sculpture became the best medium to showcase neoclassical art. In a book published in 1755, Winckelmann noted that ancient sculpture was the primary source of knowledge for artists aiming to represent antiquity. Rome housed many masterpieces of ancient sculpture for artists to study, attracting large numbers of artists, scholars, and admirers, and it eventually became the center of neoclassical sculpture. In Rome, sculptor studios were often open to tourists, allowing them to view ongoing works and replicas of famous statues made by assistants. Well-known sculptors included Thomas Banks, England, Jean Antoine, Houdon, France, John Flaxman, England, Tonio Canova, Italy, and Bertel Thorvaldsen. Went to Denmark with Canova being the most representative. Thetis, Rising from the Sea, 1778. Thomas Banks. This marble sculpture portrays the sea goddess Thetis emerging gracefully from the ocean. Standing just under a meter tall, the figure captures a moment of divine ascent with refined lines and elegant drapery. It reflects Banks's mastery of neoclassical poise and his sensitivity to mythological themes. Housed at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London. Portrait Bust of Dr. Dorothea von Rajloser, 1806. Jean Antoine Houdon. This bust presents Dr. Dorothea von Rajloser, which one of the first women to earn a doctorate in Germany with remarkable clarity and dignity. Executed in marble, the work is a fine example of Houdon's skill in capturing psychological presence and intellectual grace. Displayed in Bode Museum, Berlin. Portrait Relief, 1800. John Flaxman. This marble relief, carved in Flaxman's signature linear style, depicts a refined profile portrait in shallow relief. It embodies clarity, serenity, and classical restraint hallmarks of Flaxman's neoclassical aesthetic. Currently part of the collection at the Bode Museum in Berlin. One. Canova, or Antonio Canova, 1757 to 1822. Italy. By the late 18th century, with changes in painting, neoclassical style based on Greek and Roman sculpture had become the dominant trend. Canova, originally a stonemason from northern Italy, moved to Venice in 1768 and arrived in Rome in 1782 to study Greco-Roman art. Through studying antiquities, Canova quickly developed a style that best embodied the essence of neoclassical sculpture. For example, his sculpture Cupid in Psyche is considered one of his masterpieces. It depicts the mythological moment when Cupid awakens his dying lover, Psyche, with a kiss. The work conveys rhythm and elegance, and the marble surface appears smooth and pure. Canova intentionally emphasized surface uniformity in detailing and texture. The contours are soft and full, executed with refined craftsmanship, and the aesthetic principles drawn from antiquity are harmoniously applied in a neoclassical manner. Canova maintained a large studio in Rome and employed many assistants, but marble sculptures were usually completed by him personally. Machines were often used to help shape enlarged models in the early stages, enabling the production of multiple finished pieces for the international market. Canova worked for patrons such as Francis II of Austria, Catherine I of Russia, the Duke of Württemberg, and Napoleon. Napoleon invited Canova to live and work in Paris, but he remained in Rome to serve the Pope. In 1815, Canova traveled to Paris on behalf of the Pope to retrieve Italian artworks seized during wartime. In his well-known portrait sculpture Pauline Bonaparte as Venus Victrix, Napoleon's sister Pauline holds an apple and reclines in the posture of Venus. In addition, Canova sculpted a statue of Napoleon as a classical figure, draped with a cloak and holding a gilded goddess of victory. Initially, Napoleon invited Canova to Paris in 1802 to create a bust of him as first consul. After six years, Canova completed a colossal standing statue with one raised arm, measuring 345 centimeters in height. It was once exhibited in the Louvre, but Napoleon declined it, stating that it appeared too robust. In 1816, Louis XVIII gifted it to the British government, which purchased it for Wellington and later placed it in the Adams stairwell of the Opsley House in London. 2. Bertel Thorvaldsen, 1770-1844 Denmark. Thorvaldsen, a Danish neoclassical sculptor, studied at the Royal Academy in Copenhagen. In 1797, he arrived in Rome, taking over the former studio of John Flaxman, where he met many fellow artists. In 1819, he returned to Denmark, where he received recognition and was commissioned to sculpt statues for the Danish royal family. In 1820, he returned to Rome and remained there until 1838 in a large studio. Thorvaldsen's sculptural style was serious and dignified. His figures were more formal and closely aligned with the Greek classical model, differing from Canova's Italian-Roman approach. Thorvaldsen's major works include Christ of Charity, Jason with the Golden Fleece, the Lion Monument, and others. In 1819, Thorvaldsen created the Lion Monument in Switzerland, depicting a wounded lion lying atop a shattered French royal emblem. It commemorates the Swiss guards who died defending the Tuileries Palace during the French Revolution. The Latin inscription Helvetiorum Fidae Sivertiti, to the loyalty and bravery of the Swiss, is carved above the sculpture. These elite Swiss guards had served in the 13 regiments of the royal army since the 17th century. Having formed under a military agreement between France and Switzerland, they were known for their discipline and loyalty. Acting as the royal household's escort during the 17th and 18th centuries. Although the mercenary system was abolished during the revolution, Swiss soldiers continued to serve in Napoleon's army and later under the Bourbon Restoration, preserving the legacy of the royal Swiss guard.