Support the restoration of the three wax models on slate from the Horatio Nelson monument

Beauty is fragile

This restoration project is the result of a partnership between the Fondazione Italia Patria della Bellezza and the Museo Gypsotheca Antonio Canova di Possagno: two organisations united by a shared passion for preserving and promoting Italy’s artistic heritage.

The three small red-wax bas-reliefs are a unique treasure of art history.

Housed within the Canova Museum, these wax models represent Canova’s preparatory studies for the Monument to Horatio Nelson, and are invaluable insights into his creative process.

The passage of time has caused significant deterioration: there are fragments and cracks that threaten their survival. Without intervention, these delicate and precious artefacts from the past risk being lost.

Why is restoration important?

• Restoration is essential for stabilising the surfaces, reattaching loose fragments and preserving their priceless historical value.
• Once restored, the bas-reliefs will be exhibited for the first time in the exhibition "Antonio Canova and the Monument to Horatio Nelson", which will run from 1 November 2026 to 28 March 2027 at the Museo Gypsotheca Antonio Canova in Possagno, where visitors will be able to watch the restoration work in progress.

How will we use the funds?

The funds raised will be used to:

• Set the wax and reposition any loose pieces.
• Gently clean the surfaces and remove stains and dust.
• Treat the slate backing and wooden frame to protect them from future damage.
• To document and share the entire restoration process with the public.

How can you help us?

Every contribution, big or small, will make a difference! Join us in saving an extraordinary piece of art history.

With your support, we can preserve a precious artistic heritage and restore Canova’s works to the dignity and splendour they deserve.

Historical context: the art of wax modelling

In the Neoclassical period, red wax was the perfect material for creating models: malleable and precise, it allowed artists to give shape to their ideas before producing the final work in marble or bronze.

These three bas-reliefs depict the birth, death and glorification of Admiral Horatio Nelson, the English hero. Canova created them as preparatory studies for the monumental sarcophagus dedicated to Nelson (1806–1808), of which other studies are preserved in the Gypsotheca in Possagno.

They are unique testimonies to how a masterpiece came into being: from the Master’s hands, through the preparatory studies, to the final marble sculpture.

How will we save these masterpieces?

Wax is an extremely fragile material: humidity, sudden changes in temperature and vibrations have caused progressive damage that now puts these works at risk.

The restoration will be carried out with the utmost care, under the supervision of the Superintendency of Archaeology, Fine Arts and Landscape for the Provinces of Belluno, Padua and Treviso, respecting the authenticity and history of these unique works. Every step will be documented and carried out using techniques that do not permanently alter the original materials.

Museo Gypsotheca Antonio Canova

Located in Possagno, the birthplace of Antonio Canova, the museum houses Europe’s largest monographic collection of plaster models by the Neoclassical sculptor. Founded in 1836 and extended in 1957 by the architect Carlo Scarpa, the museum complex comprises the Gypsotheca, the Birthplace and the famous Temple designed by Canova himself. An extraordinary place where you can admire the original models of the works that were later cast in marble, a unique testament to the master’s creative process.