Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1930-01-10
Early Days of
Famous People
antonio Cdnoro Was Called Sudden
" 10 Create a Table Ornament
and Thus Jumped Into Fame.
By Nj. ii. TTLLIIT.
N EARLIEST childhood the


fingers OF Antonio Canova curled
with sensitive grasp about the
handle or a chisel. His feel" for
that implement OF statue-making was
a her'tage-for his father. Pietro.
who died three years after Antonio
was born. was a stonecutter and so
was Pisano. his grandfather.
Antonio Canova's early childhood
was passed In environment that made
Tor the development OF his sculptural
genius. Frail in body and delicate IN
constitution. the little orphan bow
vas given tender and careful guild.
ancs by his doting grandparents. At
his grandmother's knee he daily
heard romantic tales and ballads and
folk-songs OF his native hills-and by
them was inspired with N love for
the poetic that he was later 70 chisel
into marble.
The sculptor In the little Lad was
already clamoring insistently for ex.
preston when In his twelfth year an
opportunity TO gain recognition pre-
scented Itself. Antonio's genius rose
10 IT. A banquet was TO be given in
the nearby castle OF the Faliieri and
the great Venetian senator who was
then the head OF the family. had
called on the grandfather, Pisano,
TO fashion q browning ornament for
the table.
Pisano had accepted the commits.
sion and, on the night OF the ban.
quet. with little Antonio AZ his heels,
had reported at the castle for its
execution-but a sudden illness had
rendered him unable 10 perform the
task. CONSERVATION followed. Then
II was that Antonio rose 10 oppor-
tunity and came TO the rescue. AS
Stunning mastery OF the situation, the
little lad called for q mass OF butter
and set himself about the faShiOninR
OF a table ornament with q dizziness
and sureness that soon inspired the
perturbed o%nlookers with confidence.
soon he stood up and turned his
finished work 10 the view Of the wait.
ing banquet servitors. That action
OF Antonio was followed by a gasp
OF surprise and expressions OF admira-
ton from those around him-for be.
fore them they saw the figure OF a
lion fashioned with high art.
In recognition OF the genius shown
in hat modelling Antonio Canova
was given the Fall.erI patronage
and shortly afterwards was placed
in the hands Of Toretto. one OF the
greatest Venetian sculptors OF that
time. Under that masters guidance
his progress was rapid. Before he
was fourteen hts modelling OF angels
in clay astounded his teacher almost
TO the point OF incredullty and human
forms done by him in marble re-
ceived the highest praise.
Following the death OF Toretto in
Antonio's fifteenth year. he was
placed by his patron in the Vene-
tan Academy OF Fine Arts where his
progress In the development OF his
genius continued-and swept the lad
Canova On towards the high achieve
ment that was TO be his in maturity.
Canovn t0dS born IN Possd1no, ItGIv,
Nov. 4. 1857. Among his outstanding
tcorks Of sculpture are the "Pietd,D
the "St. John" the "Recumbent Md0-
LdlieL" "Persetg rith the Head OF
Medts1," the colossal figure OF Pope
Plus W aud the groups OF "Mars and
Venus" "Theseus FdHquLshin0 the
CeHtcTr'' aud "The Porting OF Venus
and AdoHis."