The first book-length examination of the clay models and creative process of the preeminent neoclassical sculptor Antonio Canova The most celebrated sculptor of the neoclassical age, Antonio Canova (1757–1822) established himself as the preeminent artist of his time with his funerary monuments and meticulously carved marbles on classical themes. Although his idealized and sensual sculptures are widely known, this is the first book devoted entirely to the brilliantly expressive clay models that he made in preparation for his marble sculptures. Only sixty-five of his terracotta models survive today. Extraordinarily modern in their boldness, the models retain the touch of the artist’s hand and yield a revelatory glimpse into Canova’s imaginative and technical process. The authors, with expertise in art history and conservation, examine Canova’s techniques for making terracotta models, including how he used clay to develop full-scale models that his assistants copied in marble, and his practice of gifting his models to friends. Distributed for the National Gallery of Art, Washington Exhibition Schedule: National Gallery of Art, Washington, DC (June 11–October 9, 2023) Art Institute of Chicago (November 19, 2023–March 18, 2024)  

A critical reexamination of Carpeaux's bust Why Born Enslaved! and other nineteenth-century antislavery images-this book interrogates the treatment of the Black figure as a malleable political symbol and locus of exoticized beauty This critical reexamination of Jean-Baptiste Carpeaux's iconic bust Why Born Enslaved! unpacks the sculpture's complex and sometimes contradictory engagement with an antislavery discourse. Noted art historians and writers discuss how categories of racial difference grew in popularity in the nineteenth century alongside a crescendo in cultural production in France during the Second Empire. By focusing on Why Born Enslaved! and comparing it to works by Carpeaux's contemporaries on both sides of the Atlantic, as well as to objects by twenty-first-century artists Kara Walker and Kehinde Wiley, this volume explores such key themes as the portrayal of Black enslavement and emancipation; the commodification of images of Black figures; the role of sculpture in generating the sympathies of its audiences; and the relevance of Carpeaux's sculpture to legacies of empire. The book also provides a chronology of events central to the histories of transatlantic slavery, abolition, colonialism, and empire. Published by The Metropolitan Museum of Art/Distributed by Yale University Press Exhibition Schedule: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York (March 10, 2022-March 5, 2023)

A compelling examination of French sculptor Auguste Rodin from the perspective of his enthusiastic American audience This exhibition catalogue explores the American reception of French artist Auguste Rodin (1840-1917), from 1893, when his first work entered a US museum, to the present. Its trajectory reaches from the collecting frenzy of the early twentieth century-promoted by philanthropist Katherine Seney Simpson and performer Loie Fuller-to important museum acquisitions of the 1920s and 1930s. From there, it traverses the 1950s, when Rodin's reputation flagged, through to the artist's revival and recognition in the 1980s. Rodin's promoters include a dynamic cast of characters, each of whom played a crucial role in cementing his status. The book traces this story through approximately 50 sculptures and 20 drawings that cover Rodin's most iconic subjects and themes. They demonstrate his dexterity across media-his virtuosity in plaster, terracotta, bronze, and marble-as well as his expressive, colorful drawings, some of them relatively unknown, sparking new appreciation for his work and delight for readers. Distributed for the Clark Art Institute Exhibition Schedule: Clark Art Institute, Williamstown, MA (June 18-September 18, 2022) High Museum of Art, Atlanta (October 21, 2022-January 15, 2023)