' Pauline Bonaparte ' Antonio Canova. ( Italian 1757-1822 ) Marble , circa 1805-1808 . Galleria Borghese , Rome .

Canova's reclining statue of Napoleon's sister , Pauline Bonaparte , holds an apple in her hand evoking the 'Venus Victrix' in the judgement of Paris , who was chosen to settle a dispute between Juno and Venus. This marble statue of Pauline in a highly refined pose is considered a supreme example of the Neo-Classical style. Antonio Canova executed this portrait between 1805-1808 without the customary drapery of a person of high rank, an exception at the time. The wooden base , draped like a catafalque , once contained a mechanism that caused the sculpture to rotate , as in the case of other works by Canova. The roles of artwork and spectator were thus reversed, it was the sculpture that moved whilst the spectator stood still and observed the splendid statue from all angles. In the past, viewers admired the softly gleaming sculpture of Pauline by candlelight and it's lustre was not only due to the fine quality of the marble but also to the waxed surface which has been recently restored.