The inscription on the paper confirmed his native belonging to one of Canova’s most notorious notepads, which is now preserved by the Biblioteca Civica of Cagli. A very deep and accurate study has been done on the album (H.Ost, Ein Ski^enbuch Antonio Canova 1796 – 1799, Tùbingen 1970) that was resumed in occasion of its restauration for a public exhibition (S. Papetti, Il taccuino canoviano di Cagli, in II tempo del bello Leopardi e il Neoclassico trale Marche e Roma, Recanati Exhibit Catalogue -Villa Colloredo Mels – curated by S. Papetti, Venezia, Marsilio, 1998, pp. 94 – 133).

The notepad, initially belonging to Canova’s cousin, Domenico Manera, was given to the Bolognese sculptor Cincinnato Baruzzi, who collaborated with Canova in his Roman studio from 1819. Due to this cooperation, Baruzzi was able to gain the heirs’ confidence enough to be charged to run Canova’s atelier in order to finish his oeuvres that were left uncompleted.

In 1830 he returned to Bologna, to succeed to De Maria as professor of sculptore at the Accademia di Belle Arti. In April of the same year, he donated his notepad to Lavinio Spada de’ Medici (Macerata 1801 – Florence 1864), defined in the personal inscription as “his very special patron”. Spada shortly after, in May 1830, removed the present drawing and gave it to an English friend who wrote the additional lime on the drawing.

Lavinio Spada’s personality was reassessed on the occasion of the 1998 notepad exhibition; he turned out to be particularly interesting, in fact he earned a place among the protagonists of the Restoration culture. His mother, Giulia de’ Medici, encouraged him to apply to literary studies, therefore he attended the Collegio Tolomei of Siena to accomplish his high school degree; right after, he attended the University of Pisa, where he graduated in Civil, Penal and Canon Law. In Florence, after having gone to the refined cultural circles belonging first to the Countess of Albany and then to the aunt Carlotta de’ Medici, he decided to move back to Pesaro in the Marches. Here, he made contact with Perticari and Monti, both appraisers of his first poetical works, also very appreciated by Leopardi. After having moved to Rome, and having attended the Accademia Ecclesiastica, Pope Leone XII nominated him “prolegato” in Ravenna. Here he patronized the foundation of the Accademia di Belle Arti, built in 1827, for which he obtained as a gift Canova’s Endimione. In this period, he made contact with a great friend, and interpreter of the sculptor, Pietro Giordani. His career continued as delegate in Spoleto, to then find an endin Rome. After having abandoned the Prelature, he got married with Natalia Komar, a beautiful Polish Countess, in 1848. At her passing, in 1860, he put Pietro Tenerani in charge of raising a sepulchral monument in Minerva’s church to honour his beloved wife. He may have chosen him because of the great masterpiece owned by the aunt Carlotta de’ Medici, or rather a sculpture representing Psyche, always very admired by whoever was received in her Florentine sitting room.

The culture and collecting passion of Sir Spada made him the ideal owner of the extraordinary Canova’s notepad that ended in Cagli’s Library. Thirteen loose papers have to be added to those forty-four drawings already contained, which represent the most recurrent motif of the sculptor’s graphic work. Several of them show the so-called “accademie”, drafts of virile figures and figures panneggiate. However, there are also many first ideas for notable monuments, such as Maria Cristina of Austria mausoleum of Vienne, or mythological sculptures, or sacred motif paintings, like the majestic Compianto today held in Possagno Temple. Alike several other Canova’s notepads, there are also few life drawing drafts, in this specific case depicting scenes from the 1789 trip to Austria. These papers are dated between 1797 and 1799, and they can be usefully compared to those already present in the conspicuous core of Canova’s graphic. For instance, the notepads held at the Civic Museum of Bassano (for the complete description of this series, widely published, the point of reference is the volume printed by the Fondazione Giorgio Cini // Civic Museum of Bassano. I disegni di Antonio Canova, curated by E. Bassi, Venice, Neri Pozza Editore, 1959). For our specific drawing, as well as for all the other drafts of virile figures in Cagli notepad, the most accurate references can be found in the album C1 of Bassano where several drafts are reproduced. To be seen these specific numbered papers, 17 and 50, (CI.26.97 e CI.27.98), both dated 1794 and depicting two young men resting on a long stick as well as in our drawing (Disegni di Canova del Museo di Bassano, catalogue of Milan exhibition – Biblioteca Trivulziana – curated by F. Rigon with writings by G.C. Argan and F. Barbieri, Milan, Electa, 1982, p. 40).

However, a series of the same type of figures are represented in Cagli notepad as well, in particular one of a man standing with a wood stick on the left. Nevertheless, there are some details that characterized our drawing, making it unique and somehow special compared to others. First off, on the background there are two figures wrapped in a mantel that look almost aching or even regretful, as they are both hiding their faces. This composition evokes several other combinations among Canova’s works of art, for instance the astonishing bas-relief dated 1790-92 portraying Ecuba and Trojan women offering a peplo to Pallade, inspired from Homer’s Iliad. After all, the main figure, with the hidden face by its left hand that supports the long stick, reminds of that represented in the middle of another 1790-92 low relief whose subject is Critone closing his eyes in front of Socrates. Canova has expressly chosen not to directly represent the feelings of his characters, by deliberately hiding their Antonio Canova, Ecuba e le donne troiane offrono il peplo a Pallade, 1790-1792, gesso, 125 x 275 cm; Milano, Fondazione Cassa di Risparmio delle Provincie Lombarde. Antonio Canova, Critone chiude gli occhi a Socrate, 1790-1792, gesso, 125 x 263 cm; Milano, Fondazione Cassa di Risparmio delle faces, leaving the viewer to its own interpretation and freedom to guess their expression. This makes the images immensely more touching and powerful.

Regarding their formal characteristics, these drawings are not preparatory drafts for specific oeuvres, but rather comparable to some of the most imposing creations of Canova. These are not even “accademie” in its traditional genre meaning. The sculptor, who showed an incomparable perfection through his marbles, now built up images with few essential lines by using his black pencil with extraordinary expressive power. It is clearly visible an alternation of thick and marked lines, like those two defined strokes with which he drawn the stick perimeter, to those more soft and thin used to trace both volumes and the cloak’s pleats, or that he used to notched the two figures on the background. What seems to interest the artist is the expression of his drawing, rather than the conventional beauty typical of academic drawings. To him, drawing was a vital daily exercise to research – as a matter of fact he left an endless number of papers – and experimental way that allowed him to test his hand, likewise musicians and singers who are unable to stop practising. This was a way to investigate his creativity, looking for new expressive solutions and experimenting new versions (even the tiniest) of the same motif. After all, the modulation of the pleats and drapery of cloaks, garments, and peple were among Canova’s fundamental characteristics, alike his nudes.

In this case, it is particularly fascinating the contrast between the great volumetric and plastic relief of the central figure and the linear definition of the background lines, almost vanishing. As previously mentioned, this drawing is correlated to the low relief plaster models, where the same contrast is visible through the alternation of prominent figures with flatter ones – or slightly engraved – on the background.

 - Fernando Mazzocca