is a delicate beauty to them that is commonplace in Canova's sculpture. Art historians have often commented on the peaceful balance that seems to exist between the three heads. Unlike compositions of the Graces that were derived from antiquity, where the outer figures turn out towards the viewer and the central figure embraces her friends with her back to the viewer, Canova's figures stand side by side, facing each other. The three slender female figures become one in their embrace, united by their linked hands and by a scarf which links them. The unity of the Graces is one of the piece's main themes. In Countess Josephine's version, the Graces are on a sacrificial altar adorned with three wreaths of flowers and a garland symbolizing their fragile, close ties. Neoclassicism and the Baroque Canova's work challenged the baroque conception of opulent beauty; he shows the Graces as nublie, svelte young women. This is not the only departure that Canova's work makes from the Baroque. For example, The Baroque works of Italian sculptor Bernini presents a stark moment in time — a snapshot. Bernini's 1644 work The Ecstasy of St. Theresa shows the moment at which the holy spirit pierces Theresa's heart, leaving her in what can only be described as ecstasy of divine presence. It is a dramatic, poignant scene captured by Bernini at the moment of greatest impact. Canova's work, however, is different. His pieces do not seem to possess any real sense of time, they merely exist at a point in the past — almost ghostly reminders of a mythological happening or person long deceased. In the case of the Graces he dispenses with theatrics and invites the viewer to make what they will of the scene. This is typical of the Neoclassical movement. In many respects this work was a departure and has since become regarded by many as a benchmark of beauty. References External links The Three Graces at The Hermitage Museum Very big picture of the Three Graces in the Hermitage 19th-century sculptures Collections of the National Galleries of Scotland Sculptures of the Victoria and Albert Museum Sculptures by Antonio Canova Sculptures of the Hermitage Museum Sculptures of the Museum of Fine Arts of Lyon Nude sculptures Sculptures of goddesses