Canova’s plaster 'Peace' exhibited in Florence as symbol for Ukraine peace
From May until September 18, 2022, the plaster cast of Antonio Canova's 'La Pace' is showcased at Palazzo Vecchio in Florence as part of the exhibition titled 'La pace di Kiev. L’arte vince sulla guerra,' overseen by curator Vittorio Sgarbi. This plaster, marked '7embre 1812' by Canova, originates from the compromised Museo Gypsotheca Antonio Canova. Commissioned by Nikolay Rumyantsev, the marble was transported to Saint Petersburg between 1815 and 1816. In 1953, it was relocated to Kyiv by Nikita Khrushchev, where it acquired the name 'La Pace di Kiev.' Sgarbi reached out to Florence's mayor, Dario Nardella, who highlighted the plaster's political relevance and noted that 'La Pace di Kiev' resonates with Russians as well.
Key facts
- Plaster cast of Canova's 'La Pace' exhibited at Palazzo Vecchio, Florence, until September 18, 2022.
- Curated by Vittorio Sgarbi, who calls it an 'ostension of a religious symbol.'
- Plaster inscribed '7embre 1812' by Canova, from Museo Gypsotheca Antonio Canova in Possagno.
- Marble original at Khanenko Museum in Kyiv, hidden from bombings.
- Commissioned by Russian diplomat Nikolay Rumyantsev to celebrate peace treaties.
- Moved to Kyiv in 1953 by Nikita Khrushchev.
- Florence is twinned with Kyiv; collaboration project underway.
- Statue placed in Sala Leone X under fresco of Cosimo I as Mars, with mirror reflecting details.
Entities
Artists
- Antonio Canova
- Vittorio Sgarbi
- Dario Nardella
- Nikolay Rumyantsev
- Nikita Khrushchev
- Cosimo I de' Medici
- Giorgio Vasari
- Fyodor Dostoevsky
- Francesca de Paolis
Institutions
- Museo di Palazzo Vecchio
- Museo Nazionale Khanenko di Kiev
- Museo Gypsotheca Antonio Canova di Possagno
- Galleria degli Uffizi
- University of Milan-Bicocca
- Russian embassy in Italy
- Artribune
Locations
- Florence
- Italy
- Kyiv
- Ukraine
- Possagno
- Saint Petersburg
- Russia
- Mariupol
- Milan
- Parco delle Cascine