The statue of Reclining Naiad depicts a naked nymph, prone on the pelt of a large panther that is draped over a rocky, bedlike formation; she gazes backward along the length ff her body, the whisper of a smile on her pretty face. Beneath her head, the animal's muzzle is represented in a cascade of rich, slow, and amazingly feline folds. Canova himself described the reclining figure as a nymph, while his friend and biographer, Leopoldo Cicognara, called her a naiad, which seems the more exact. A naiad is a nymph who inhabits lakes, rivers, springs, and fountains, and the fount pouring forth water at the side of the rock here symbolizes her aquatic habitat. It remains unclear, however, just which minor divinity from antiquity Canova may have been intending to represent.
This object is part of "Scan The World". Scan the World is a non-profit initiative introduced by MyMiniFactory, through which we are creating a digital archive of fully 3D printable sculptures, artworks and landmarks from across the globe for the public to access for free. Scan the World is an open source, community effort, if you have interesting items around you and would like to contribute, email firstname.lastname@example.org to find out how you can help.