Return of the Gods: Neoclassical Sculpture in Britain

Wealthy and powerful patrons and collectors in late eighteenth and early nineteenth-century Britain peopled their houses with monumental marble figures made to astonish and captivate Scuplted primarily for their appeal as virtuoso objects in their own right, they were also made for contemplation and display.

They were inspired by the classical sculpture of ancient Greece and Rome, they aimed to rival the antique prototypes.

Iconic works, such as Canova's "Three Graces", a multitude of portrait busts and exquisite reliefs are all discussed here.

In addition to works by Canova, sculptures by Thorvaldsen, Nollekens, Flaxman and other leading artists are described and illustrated, while a short introduction looks at the patterns of collecting and patronage in Rome and Britain, and the different ways in which these works of art were viewed and displayed.