Antonio CanovaItalian, 1757–1822Reclining Naiad
Can I see it?
Yes, on view now
Where is “Reclining Naiad” now? The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Gallery 515, New York. Yes, on view now. Checked September 29, 2026.
New York, United States
Open now· until 9:00 PM
On public display.
- Checked
- In this state since
- Source
- The museum
Details
- Accession number
- 1970.1
What it shows
In the catalog
Sources
- The Metropolitan Museum of Art
- Image: The Metropolitan Museum of Art — Open Access (CC0)
In the life of Antonio Canova
The whole life1791–1818
Honorary member of many academies in Europe and America
Canova was elected an honorary member of many academies: Florence (1791), Stockholm (1796), Verona (1803), Venice (1804), Siena (1805), Lucca (1806), St Petersburg (1804), Geneva (1804), Denmark (1805), Graz (1812), Marseille (1813), Monaco (1814), New York (1817), Antwerp and Vilnius (1818), and also Philadelphia.
11 July 1819
Lays the foundation stone of his own temple in Possagno
After his 1814 proposal for a statue of Religion in St Peter’s was rejected, Canova resolved to build his own temple: he designed and financed the building himself and partly built it, combining the Parthenon and the Pantheon. On 11 July 1819 he laid the foundation stone, dressed in a red papal uniform and wearing all his medals, and afterwards visited Possagno every autumn to direct the workmen.
1822
A trip to Naples undermines his health
In 1822 Canova travelled to Naples to superintend the making of wax moulds for an equestrian statue of Ferdinand VII; the venture was disastrous for his health, but he soon recovered enough to return to Rome and from there to travel to Venice, where he died on 13 October at the age of 64. He never married.
1822 · Award
honorary citizen of Asolo
12 October 1822
Leaves his whole estate to complete the temple
The day before his death Canova instructed his brother to use his entire estate to complete the temple in Possagno.
13 October 1822
Died
