Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1930-01-10
Early Days of
Famous People
antonio CGnoUa WGs Called Sudden.
" 10 Create a Table Ornament
and Thus Jumped Into Fame.
By NJ. III. THLTTT.
Dy vi. II. IILLITI.
" EARLIEST childhood the
fingers or Antonio Canova curled

" 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
heritage-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
for the development OF his sc~ulptural
genius. Frail In body and delicate In
constitution. the little orphan boy
was given tender and careful guild.
ancs by his doting grandparents. AT
MS grandmother's knee he daily
heard romantic tales and ballads and
folk-Songs OF his native hills-and by
them was inspired with a love for
"a 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 10 gain recognition pre-
scented itself. Antonio's genius rose
10 IT, A banquet was to be given In
the nearby castle OF the Fallieri and
the great Venetian senator who was
then the head OF the family. had
called on the grandfather. Pisano.
TO fashion a browning ornament for
the table.
Pisano had accepted the commits.
sion and. on the night OF the ban.
quet. with little Antonio at his heels,
had reported at the castle for It's
execution-but a sudden illness had
rendered him unable 70 perform the
task CONSERVATION followed. Then
II was that Antonio rose e oppor.
tunity and came 70 the rescue. As
Stunning mastery OF the situation. the
little lad called for q mass or butter
and set himself about the fashioninE
OF a table ornament with a deftness
and sureness that soon inspired the
perturbed onlookers with confidence.
Soon he stood UP and turned his
finished work to the view OF the wait.
ing banquet servitors. That action
OF Antonio "a followed by a gasp
OF surprise and expressions OF admira.
ton from those around hlm-for be-
fore them they saw the figure Of a
lion fashioned with high art
In recognition OF the genius shown
III mat moueHnB antonio CanoNa
was given the Fall.erl patronage
and shortly afterwards was placed
in the hands OF Toretto. one OF the
greatest Venetian sculptors OF that
time. Under hat masters guidance
his progress was rapid. Before he
was fourteen his modelling OF angels
In clay astounded his teacher almost
TO the point OF incredulity 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 10 be his In maturity.
C0nord uos born In Possccno, Italy,
NOT. 4. 1851. Among his outstanding
toorks Of sculpture ere the "Pictd.n
The est. John" the "Recumbent Ndg-
.daicls". "PerSens trith the Head oJ
Medusr," the colossal figure OF Pope
Plus W cnd the groups Of Mars ond
Venus" "TheSeas FdrquishinC the
Centdlu" aud "The Parting Of Venas
aud AdoHLS."