Bust symbolizing The Catholic Religion

myminifactory

This stunning bust titled "The Catholic Religion" is a remarkable fragment of a plaster model (h. 4.10m) meticulously crafted by Canova as a preliminary study for an enormous, colossal statue (h 8m) he envisioned erecting in St. Peter's to pay homage to religion and the triumphant return to Rome by Pius VII after France's intervention ended. Canova started working on this sculpture in 1814 by sending the model to the pontiff. In the same year, he began developing this plaster piece, now a permanent fixture at the Accademia Nazionale di San Luca, with another stored in Gipsoteca in Possagno. The project encountered numerous challenges that hindered its completion, including stability and location issues. The sculptor ultimately decided to allocate the sculpture to a church in Possagno, thus sparking controversy by replacing a Protestant sculpture manning the tomb of Countess Brownlow in Belton in the same church. Canova's brother donated the colossal plaster to the Academy in 1830. Unfortunately, much of the sculpture was severely damaged, leaving intact only the bust with chiton and its tiara depicting "the symbol of Trinity" and the "one eye open triangle symbolizing all-seeing providence."