Daedalus and Icarus

myminifactory

In the heart of the breathtaking Sala delle vedute by Giuseppe Borsato, a master painter known for interpreting Fontaine's Empire Style with great success, stands the stunning marble group of Daedalus and Icarus - one of Antonio Canova's most impressive early works. Commissioned by procurator Pietro Vettor Pisari for his Palazzo overlooking the Grand Canal, this masterpiece was created when Canova was just twenty years old. With remarkable genius, he achieved a striking contrast between the classical model (Icarus) and the distinctly Venetian pictorial naturalism of eighteenth-century art, inspired by Giamabattista Piazzetta's Daedalus. This skilled composition unites the two figures around an empty void, surrounded by the threat that comes from Daedalus' wing and hand. Exuding emotion and dramatic communication, with his face twisted in doubt, the father Daedalus is attaching the wings made of feathers held together by wax to the arms of his young son Icarus, who looks forward to the joy of flight that will allow him to escape the labyrinth and the Minotaur's threat. The marble surface treatment is vibrant and still far from the polished purity that became a hallmark of Canova's style. A distinctive trademark of the sculptor, the mallet and chisel lying at the feet of the elderly architect are placed in perfect continuity with the artifice Daedalus. Unveiled at the Fiera della Sensa in 1777, it received tremendous acclaim. Young Canova earned one hundred gold zecchins for his work, which he used to travel to Rome, where his experience of ancient cultures and the support of various individuals helped shape his classical style and catapulted him to international fame.