THE GRACES
Opera Text
In the Gipsoteca of Canova, it is possible to admire the plaster of the work preserved at the Hermitage in Saint Petersburg. On the pillar where the three female figures rest, we read “started in June and finished in August 1813”. In just two months, therefore, Canova finished the work in plaster, an obligatory passage of that sublime construction so important for the Treviso sculptor. In the museum there is also a terracotta sketch made in 1810 that bears witness to the long maturation of this subject. The Graces are a free interpretation of a Hellenistic fresco. The three goddesses,captured by Canova,are daughters of Zeus and correspond to the name of Aglaia, Eufrosine and Talia, sodal of Venus and symbolize, respectively, the splendor, joy and prosperity. They are tenderly embraced and contemplating their beauty. The structure of the group seems simple but in reality there is a wealth and complexity of stylistic modules such as vertical lines, curved lines, hexagon, circle and elise.The thrust of the three figures in the vertical direction it is counterbalanced by the intertwining of the arms that gently tie the volumes. The rounded curves of the legs, arms and sides create an extraordinary play of light and shadow.
Via Canova 74Â Â
Possagno 31054 (TV)
0423 544323
