Canova, Wrestlers -- Gallerie della Accademia, Venezia

Speranza



With this group from 1775, Canova won second prize at the first sculpture competition held by the Accademia.

The subject is taken from the old plaster copy in the Filippo Farsetti collection.

The original is in the Uffizi in Florence.

The small terracotta was made when Canova was only 18 years old, and established him as the last great exponent of 18th century Venetian figurative culture.