Antonio Canova, Circle of (Possagno, 1757 - Venezia, 1822)
Bust of an Elderly Man, 1820/1830 ca.
terracotta; inv. S 20
provenance: Bequest of Cincinnato Baruzzi, 1878
The traditional attribution to the great Neoclassical sculptor, founded
on the Latin inscription on the base, has been recently doubted. The
inscription also emphasizes the singularity of this work, as it would
be the only terracotta sculpture ever created by the artist.
Today it is believed that the bust is more likely to be a workshop
piece from Canova’s very active studio. The bust is a
particularly lively portrait and the gentle rotation of the pose and
the nude torso, elements present in other works by Canova, contribute
to the naturalistc tone of this piece.
