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On display
Image of Gallery in South Kensington

Helen of Troy

Bust
after 1812 (made)
Artist/Maker
Canova, Antonio (sculptor)
Place of origin
Italy (made)

In mythology, Helen was the daughter of the god Jupiter and was famed for her great beauty. Jupiter, taking the form of a swan, seduced Leda, who gave birth to Helen from an egg, as well as Clytemnestra and Castor and Pollux, hence the eggshell seen here on Helen's head. Helen was married to Menelaus, the King of Sparta. Whilst her husband was away, she was abducted by the Trojan prince Paris, to whom she was later married. So began a long war between the Greeks and Trojans. A number of other versions of this head are known, one of which is in the Palazzo Albrizzi in Venice. It was seen by the poet Lord Byron in 1812, who wrote:

‘In this beloved marble view
Above the works and thoughts of Man,
What nature could, but would not, do
And beauty and Canova can!’

Another version is in the collection of Lord Londonderry, having been presented to Robert Stewart, Viscount Castlereagh, later 2nd Marquess of Londonderrry, in 1816 (see 'Canova Ideal Heads', ed. K. Eustace (exh. cat.), The Ashmolean Museum, Oxford, 1997, pp. 84-5, cat. no. 4). The V&A's Helen was presented to the Museum by the National Portrait Gallery in 1930, having been purchased at auction for its pedestal in 1929 from Stratton Park, Hampshire.

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read Antonio Canova – an introduction Italian sculptor Antonio Canova (1757 – 1822) is considered the leading figure of the Neoclassical style, inspired by the sculptures of Ancient Greece and Rome. His sculptures such as 'The Three Graces' and 'Theseus and the Minotaur' were praised for their idealised beauty and their calm y...

Object details

Categories
Sculpture
Myths & Legends
Object type
Bust
TitleHelen of Troy (generic title)
Materials and techniques
Carved marble
Marble
Carved
Brief description
Bust, marble, of Helen of Troy, by Antonio Canova (Italian), after 1812
Physical description
Bust in marble of Helen of Troy looking downwards, the face framed in long ringlets. The top of the head covered with half an eggshell, reflecting the story of her birth, her mother being Leda, her father Jupiter, taking the form of a swan.
Dimensions
  • Height: 64cm
  • Width: 30cm
  • Depth: 30cm
Gallery label
(2021)
Antonio Canova (1757–1822)
Helen of Troy
After 1812

In Greek mythology, Helen, the daughter of the god Jupiter, was famed for her beauty. She was married to Menelaus, King of Sparta, but the Trojan prince Paris abducted her, triggering a ten-year war between the Greeks and Trojans. Canova, who was the most celebrated sculptor in Europe in the 1810s, carved several versions of this bust. Lord Byron wrote a poem in 1812 after seeing one of the versions in Venice.

Rome
Marble
Possibly formerly in the Earl of Northbrook’s collection in Stratton Park, Hampshire
Object history
Probably purchased in 1822 from the workshop by Sir Thomas Baring (1772-1848) or Sir Francis Thornhill Baring (1796-1866), 1st Baron of Northbrook; by descent to Francis George Baring (1850-1929), 2nd Earl of Northbrook Stratton Park Sale, 27-29 November 1930; purchased by the National Portrait Gallery, London; transfered to the V&A in 1930.
Subject depicted
Helen of Troy
Summary
In mythology, Helen was the daughter of the god Jupiter and was famed for her great beauty. Jupiter, taking the form of a swan, seduced Leda, who gave birth to Helen from an egg, as well as Clytemnestra and Castor and Pollux, hence the eggshell seen here on Helen's head. Helen was married to Menelaus, the King of Sparta. Whilst her husband was away, she was abducted by the Trojan prince Paris, to whom she was later married. So began a long war between the Greeks and Trojans. A number of other versions of this head are known, one of which is in the Palazzo Albrizzi in Venice. It was seen by the poet Lord Byron in 1812, who wrote:

‘In this beloved marble view
Above the works and thoughts of Man,
What nature could, but would not, do
And beauty and Canova can!’

Another version is in the collection of Lord Londonderry, having been presented to Robert Stewart, Viscount Castlereagh, later 2nd Marquess of Londonderrry, in 1816 (see 'Canova Ideal Heads', ed. K. Eustace (exh. cat.), The Ashmolean Museum, Oxford, 1997, pp. 84-5, cat. no. 4). The V&A's Helen was presented to the Museum by the National Portrait Gallery in 1930, having been purchased at auction for its pedestal in 1929 from Stratton Park, Hampshire.
Bibliographic references
  • Alessio Costarelli, Canova e gli Inglesi, Milan, 2022, pp. 255-6, cat, 63.
  • Villing, Alexandra, J. Lesley Fitton, Victoria Turner and Andrew Shapland. Troy: Myth and Reality. Exhibition Catalogue, London, British Museum. London: Thames & Hudson, 2019, pp. 262-63, fig. 265
  • Cf. Padiyar, S. Review of the exhibition Canova e la Venere Vincitrice. The Burlington Magazine. CL. January 2008. p. 59.
  • Cf. Canova e la Venere Vincitrice. Rome, 2007. p. 241.
  • Pope-Hennessy, John. Catalogue of Italian Sculpture in the Victoria and Albert Museum. London: HMSO, 1964. cat. no. 704. fig. no. 694.
  • Victoria and Albert Museum, Review of the Principal Acquisitions During the Year 1930. London. pp. 4, 5.
Collection
Sculpture Collection
Accession number
A.46-1930

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Record createdAugust 14, 2006
Record URL
https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O127047/helen-of-troy-bust-canova-antonio/
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