Tethys333
Active member
Taking advantage of the days dedicated to the god Adonis and the new ritual dedicated to Him, I wanted to share with you, my Zevists brothers and sisters, one of the sculptures that accompanied me in my growth, including spiritual growth: “Adonis and Venus” (1794), by Antonio Canova.
Antonio Canova is considered the “new Phidias,” the undisputed protagonist of European Neoclassicism, capable of restoring the softness of living flesh to marble. A favorite artist of popes and emperors, Canova did not limit himself to copying the ancients, but reinterpreted them through an obsessive search for ideal beauty and “grace.” His works are the result of a meticulous technical process that transformed cold stone into figures animated by a timeless harmony, suspended between natural reality and divine perfection.
Without any commission, Canova decided to put his artistic skills to the test, thus creating one of the most sublime works of neoclassical art.
At first glance, the sculptural group appears to consist of two figures, but in reality, there are three: Adonis, Venus, and his faithful dog.
Adonis stands with his gaze turned toward the goddess Aphrodite. What has always struck me about the figure of Adonis is that he is a young man deeply in love with the goddess, but also aware of his destiny, marked by the arrow he holds in his right hand.
The right leg is also much further away than the left, further emphasizing what is about to happen: the act of abandonment to meet death. The pelvis is also slightly rotated.
As can be clearly seen, Canova decided not to make his musculature particularly visible, in order to emphasize his youth.
Let us now turn our attention to the goddess Aphrodite, another important character.
Aphrodite's face already reveals that she knows what will happen to the young man. This is precisely why the goddess's actions seem to encourage not to let him go, so as not to lose him.
The goddess's hand has always fascinated me in particular: a light touch on Adonis's face and such an intense gaze. It is not her gestures that speak, but her face that expresses love.
Nudity is one of the main symbols: purity, the divine, the sublime, perfection.
Another theme is expressed by the dog, a symbol of hunting and loyalty to man despite everything.
The work is made of marble and can currently be admired at the Musée d'Art et l'Histoire in Geneva.
"Aphrodite has loved you, and the Gods have venerated you [...] ΑΔΩΝΙΣ, TAMMUZ, DUMUZID, SIPAD, you are adored and invoked."
Antonio Canova is considered the “new Phidias,” the undisputed protagonist of European Neoclassicism, capable of restoring the softness of living flesh to marble. A favorite artist of popes and emperors, Canova did not limit himself to copying the ancients, but reinterpreted them through an obsessive search for ideal beauty and “grace.” His works are the result of a meticulous technical process that transformed cold stone into figures animated by a timeless harmony, suspended between natural reality and divine perfection.
Without any commission, Canova decided to put his artistic skills to the test, thus creating one of the most sublime works of neoclassical art.
At first glance, the sculptural group appears to consist of two figures, but in reality, there are three: Adonis, Venus, and his faithful dog.
Adonis stands with his gaze turned toward the goddess Aphrodite. What has always struck me about the figure of Adonis is that he is a young man deeply in love with the goddess, but also aware of his destiny, marked by the arrow he holds in his right hand.
The right leg is also much further away than the left, further emphasizing what is about to happen: the act of abandonment to meet death. The pelvis is also slightly rotated.
As can be clearly seen, Canova decided not to make his musculature particularly visible, in order to emphasize his youth.
Let us now turn our attention to the goddess Aphrodite, another important character.
Aphrodite's face already reveals that she knows what will happen to the young man. This is precisely why the goddess's actions seem to encourage not to let him go, so as not to lose him.
The goddess's hand has always fascinated me in particular: a light touch on Adonis's face and such an intense gaze. It is not her gestures that speak, but her face that expresses love.
Nudity is one of the main symbols: purity, the divine, the sublime, perfection.
Another theme is expressed by the dog, a symbol of hunting and loyalty to man despite everything.
The work is made of marble and can currently be admired at the Musée d'Art et l'Histoire in Geneva.
"Aphrodite has loved you, and the Gods have venerated you [...] ΑΔΩΝΙΣ, TAMMUZ, DUMUZID, SIPAD, you are adored and invoked."
![Karnonnos [SG]](/data/avatars/s/21/21596.jpg?1704756304){kind=avatar}
![Arcadia [NG]](/data/avatars/s/2/2320.jpg?1720432497){kind=avatar}