Appears in exhibition catalog as entry no. [not numbered]
A Separate Exhibition of the Marble Statue, the Venus de Medicis, may be seen in an adjoining room. This Marble Statuary represents the Venus of Medicis, 4 feet 11 inches in height. The original statue of this Venus has a proverbial reputation . . . The original is by Praxiteles, . . . This is a copy made by the immortal Canova, before he undertook to make the celebrated Chaste Venus of his own invention. Canova had almost finished this invaluable copy, when he discovered a defect in the marble on the right hip of the figure, which had to be taken off and replaced with another piece of marble. For this unexpected accident he yielded it to his pupil Vanelli, who finished it in a manner to give credit to the instructions received of his immortal master. He sold it to a Russian Prince for 20,000 crowns. . . . This statue [the original Venus by Praxiteles] was placed in the Louvre in Paris in 1797, and soon after a medal was struck, bearing on one side a portrait of Napoleon, and upon the other the entire figure of Venus with the legend: "Aux Arts la Victoire." It was restored to Florence in 1815, and there placed in the tribune of the gallery upon its ancient pedestal which, during its absence, had been occupied by a Venus made by Canova, since remeoved to the Palace Pitti. [P. 28.]
Synopsis of an Extensive and Valuable Collection of Original Paintings, by the Best Old Masters, selected from the Galleries of several Italian Noblemen, as the Foundation of an American National Gallery, is now open for exhibition at St. Louis Ball Room. New-Orleans: Printed on Rea's Power Press, 58 Magazine Street. 1847.
