Antonio Canova

Born November 1, 1757, in Italy, Antonio Canova became the defining sculptor of the Neoclassical movement. He drew from both Baroque tradition and the classical revival sweeping Europe, but his genius was in steering clear of their extremes: no Baroque melodrama, no sterile imitation of antiquity. Instead, his marble figures carried a warmth and presence that set him apart. By the time he died on October 13, 1822, he was widely considered the greatest Neoclassical artist of his age.