Antonio Canova’s Self-Portrait at the Art Institute of Chicago is not a painted likeness but a plaster bust, modeled in 1812 by the workshop of the great Neoclassical sculptor ^[3]. The work captures the artist in three dimensions, a medium that directly reflects his primary identity as a sculptor, even as he was also a painter, draftsman, and architect ^[2]. The bust presents Canova with a direct, engaged gaze, embodying the Neoclassical ideals of clarity and restrained heroism that defined his career ^[1].

Provenance: the 1975 acquisition from Rome

The bust’s documented history begins in the 20th century. It was in the possession of M. C. Sestieri in Rome by 1975, from whom the Art Institute of Chicago purchased it that same year using the Wirt D. Walker Endowment and Decorative Arts Purchase Fund ^[3]. The work’s earlier ownership history is not recorded in the museum’s catalogue.

Date	Event
by 1975	In the collection of M. C. Sestieri, Rome [3]
1975	Sold to the Art Institute of Chicago [3]

Medium and dimensions: plaster as sculptural record

The bust is executed in plaster, a material commonly used in Canova’s practice for preparatory models and casts ^[3]. It measures 90.5 × 47.6 × 28.6 cm (35 5/8 × 18 3/4 × 11 1/4 in.) ^[3]. The museum attributes the work to the workshop of Antonio Canova, indicating that while the conception is the master’s, the execution may have involved assistants ^[3]. The date of 1812 places the bust in Canova’s mature period, when he was at the height of his fame across Europe ^[1].

Artist biography: from Possagno stonecutter to Neoclassical master

Canova was born on 1 November 1757 in Possagno, a city in the Venetian Republic, to Pietro Canova, a stonecutter ^[1]. After his father’s death in 1761 and his mother’s remarriage the following year, he was placed in the care of his paternal grandfather Pasino Canova, a stonemason who specialized in late Baroque altars with statues and low reliefs ^[1]. Under his grandfather’s guidance, Canova began modeling in clay and carving marble before the age of ten, executing two small shrines of Carrara marble at age nine that are still extant ^[1]. In 1770, he became an apprentice in Venice ^[1]. His career would make him the most celebrated Neoclassical artist of his generation, with a reputation built on marble sculptures that avoided both the melodramatics of the Baroque and the cold artificiality of the classical revival ^[1].

Exhibitions: the 2023–24 Chicago showing

The plaster bust was included in the exhibition Canova: Sketching in Clay, which traveled to the Art Institute of Chicago, where it was on view from November 19, 2023, through March 18, 2024 ^[3]. The work was exhibited in Chicago only and was not included in the exhibition catalogue ^[3]. The show’s earlier venue was Washington, DC, from June 11 to October 9, 2023, where this particular bust was not displayed ^[3].

Frequently asked questions

Is this a painted self-portrait?

No. Despite Canova’s activity as a painter, this work is a plaster bust, a three-dimensional sculptural self-portrait ^[2][3].

When was the bust created?

The Art Institute of Chicago dates the work to 1812, attributing it to Canova’s workshop ^[3].

Where was the bust before it came to Chicago?

It was in Rome with the dealer M. C. Sestieri by 1975, from whom the Art Institute purchased it that year ^[3].