Focus on this artwork and discuss the Plaster casts.
In spite of the poor reception of the marble statue, Canova had it cast in plaster. Five copies were made, and were destined for the Accademie di Belle Arti of Italy. The best-preserved of these is now, following restoration in Florence, in the Pinacoteca di Brera. It was initially sent, divided into eight sections, to Padova; however, it was not paid for and stayed in its packing-cases. It was bought by Napoleon's step-son, the viceroy Eugène de Beauharnais, and was on display in the Galleria Reale in Palazzo Brera from 1809 to 1814. After the fall of Napoleon it was relegated to the storerooms of the Accademia, where it remained until 2008. It was restored, and installed in the Pinacoteca di Brera in 2009 for the bicentenary of the gallery.
Napoleon Eugène de Beauharnais Accademie di Belle Arti Florence viceroy restoration Pinacoteca di Brera cast in plaster Palazzo Brera Plaster cast Padova