XIXth Century Academic Study Of The Head Of Paris By Canova. 57 Cm X 46.5 Cm

Academic Study of the Head of Paris by Canova (Gipsoteca plaster copy).

57 cm x 46.5 cm
Charcoal pencil drawing on matte paper. Excellent conservation conditions.
Plaster casts from nineteenth-century academies often drew inspiration not only from classical antiquity but also from the works of great masters of the past, such as Michelangelo, and contemporaries like Antonio Canova.
Among Canova's plaster casts, three were particularly popular: Paris, Helen, and Calliope.

The drawing depicts a plaster of Paris, based on the original marble, created by Antonio Canova, housed in the Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg. The bust portrays Paris, recognizable by the Phrygian cap, and is a work by Canova (1757 - 1822).
Paris is a character from Greek mythology, famous particularly for his role in the Trojan War. He was the son of Priam, king of Troy, and Hecuba. According to legend, he was the one who sparked the Trojan War by choosing Aphrodite as the most beautiful, in exchange for the love of Helen, the most beautiful woman in the world, who was already married to Menelaus, king of Sparta.
This drawing represents one of the many examples of academic exercises based on the most important plaster statues.
Students focused on the chiaroscuro effect and detailed representation of the face.

The drawing of Paris is executed with mastery using charcoal, giving the face a majestic, realistic, and three-dimensional appearance, while the curly hair is rendered with a grisaille effect.