Canova

This elegant volume, prepared in conjunction with a recent exhibition in Venice, celebrates the Italian sculptor Antonio Canova (1757-1822), whose works were acclaimed by the public, championed by literary figures such as Byron and Stendhal and collected by kings and emperors. His best-known pieces--such as Cupid and Psyche and The Three Graces , delicate marble statues depicting themes from Greek mythology--are often slighted by art historians but remain popular with museum-goers. Superbly photographed from a variety of angles, these triumphs of neoclassicism form the core of the artworks reproduced here, which also include paintings, preparatory drawings and terracotta studies. Essays by an international array of scholars--notable among them C. G. Argan and Hugh Honour--place Canova in his cultural context and explore the philosophical implications of his art. (Nov.)