Skip to main content
Home

MAP IT

mapit icon close icon

Canova: Sketching in Clay



Sketching in Clay Exhibition

Daily, Jun 11, 2023 - Oct 09, 2023. From: 10:00 AM to 05:00 PM

How does a sculptor turn an initial idea into a finished work of marble? For Antonio Canova (1757–1822), the most famous artist of Europe's revolutionary period, the answer was with clay.


Working with his hands and small tools, Canova produced dazzling sketch models in clay, which helped him plan his designs for his large statues in marble. Imprinted with the fire of his imagination, these sketches were boldly executed in mere minutes. Canova also made more finished models, sensuous in their details, that he showed to patrons or used as guides for carving.


More than 30 of his some 60 or so surviving models reveal the artist's extraordinary working process, a process that led to the creation of some of the most iconic works in the history of sculpture.

CONTACT

4th St. & Constitution Ave. NW
Washington, DC 20565
United States

Free

Nearby Favorites

washington dc

Royal Sonesta Washington DC Dupont Circle

The Royal Sonesta Washington DC is a rich, modern, urban hotel with an...

VIEW DETAILS

SPONSORED

washington dc

National Postal Museum

The Smithsonian National Postal Museum is devoted to the colorful and ...

VIEW DETAILS

SPONSORED

washington dc

Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center

Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center is an iconic, la...

VIEW DETAILS

SPONSORED

Partner Content