Italic Venus, Marble Bust After Canova, Circa 1850.

- Marble bust circa 1850 after the Italic Venus by sculptor Antonio Canova (1757-1822).

- This marble portrait is based on the bust of the Italic Venus by sculptor Antonio Canova. The Italian sculptor created his first marble Italic Venus, a full-length, life-size female nude, in 1804. Created as compensation for the transfer of the Venus de Medici to France by Napoleonic troops, Canova's Venus faithfully imitates the character of ancient Greek and Roman statues of gods and goddesses, prized at the time as archetypes of beauty and symbols of nobility. In the following decades, his studio and others reproduced the model of the Italic Venus at various scales, including busts like this one that invite close observation of her curly hair tied back in a ponytail and held in place by a ribbon. Furthermore, the quality of the sculpture allows us to appreciate the complex structure of the many curls on the young woman's forehead. Her face is imbued with great tenderness thanks to the subtle details of the modeling, notably her very slightly parted lips.

- Some missing parts are to be noted (see photos)

- Dimensions of the bust - height: 46 cm, width: 31.5 cm, depth: 17.5 cm (total height with the base: 58.5 cm)