The Three Graces at The Louvre, Paris

By Antonio Canova

Neoclassical sculpture of the mythological three charites, daughters of Zeus – identified on some engravings of the statue as, from left to right, Euphrosyne, Aglaea and Thalia - who were said to represent beauty, charm and joy. The Graces presided over banquets and gatherings primarily to entertain and delight the guests of the gods.

The three nude woman, symbols of beauty, arts and fertility, stand together in a line in a composition to signify their alliance. The marble, lifesize piece in the Louvre was created in the 11th Century AD, discovered in Rome on mount Caelius.

This piece is arguably based on Raphael's 'Three Graces' painting in 1505 -an image of which I have included in this listing.

Made from resin

Sold individually

Dimensions

Height 4cm

NOTES

Resin Items

All resin items come unfinished (unless stated otherwise) and will require a small amount of "cleaning" - this will involve removing any printing support nodules using a sharp knife and or snips and also sanding sections to a smooth finish. This is very easy to do and takes minutes.

Always prime the resin item after any assembly. The primer will help to stick the paint to the surface. Once primed you can proceed with any paint finish you prefer from gilding to aged paint finishing.

Pewter Items

As with all my designs the pieces will require a little cleaning using a file and/or sandpaper. The metal is very soft so this is a simple and satifying part of the build process.

I tend to use superglue (Hafixx being my favoured choice) with a super glue activator to speed things up.

To paint the item I strongly recommend a metal primer. Spray primers are the easiest and just a light coat with give the paint something to 'key' with......then the choice is yours. I use all types of paints from acrylics to cellulose spray paints. All have their own merits and so I choose according to the finish I wish to create.

After applying my coats of paint I will always add an aging layer of raw umber acrylic (water it down and then paint and wipe off to leave the dark paint in the recesses). Aging can be very rewarding and there are many options for this. One little recommendation is to use rotten stone/pumice stone powder to add what I like to describe as "dust" to the piece. It is a powder and will always be a powder unless mixed with a binder such as glue. The powder is a soft grey and if it is brished on then off it will leave a slight dusting in the recesses of the design.

A final flourish of splatter (very subtle brown/grey applied with by splattering the paint from a bristled brush such as a toothbrush) adds a little more interest.

The Three Graces at The Louvre, Paris (standing)

£8.80

Quantità

If you do not like your purchase and wish to return it to me then please let me know within 14 days of receipt. The items will need to be returned within 30 days of receipt. I shall refund the carriage costs to you and the cost of the item but the return carriage will be covered by you. Please email me.

Faulty or damaged?

If you receive an item that has been damaged in transit or is faulty then please inform us within 14 days of receipt. The items will need to be returned within 30 days of receipt. I shall refund in full thel posting fees and the original invoice value including the postage fee. Please email me.
We send all parcels on a stardard parcel service which is the cheaper of all options. UK deliveries usually arrive within 1 to 3 days of despatch and most USA, Australian and Japanese deliveries arrive within 10 days.

Europe takes about 5 days.

I package well and try to keep postal costs to a minimum by ensuring that I use light weight but effective packaging - however on the off chance you receive something damaged in the post please let me know - and I shall send a replacement if and where possible.

If goods are delayed in transit this will be due to the courier or postal service. Apart from tracking and possibly contacting the courier I am unable to "speed" things up....However I shall always aim to despatch your item within 48 hours of receipt of your order.

Spain and Japan and Itlay - all orders are sent tracked due to lost parcels using the postal service.
Cleaning up - if buying a kit

All kits are supplied in a state that I describe as "fresh from the mould". The moulding processes create little spurs on parts of the castings. These can easily be removed with a knife or snips but be carful not to take away important location pins or door nodules....it is always best to look at the assembly before removing them. Some of the spurs will require sanding with a needle file or emery board. There maybe some feathering which is where very small amounts of fine resin escapes through the gap where the mould joins - simply brush them off.

Assembly

Most kits are easy to assemble but the buffet and the small french cabinet have doors which are hinged by ball and socket joints. I find using a slower setting glue helpful as super glue does not provide you with enough working time.

Super glue options that I like are Deluxe Cyano Gel glue and Hafixs professional super glue both available on line.

Painting
The resin does not absord stains easily so if you are planning on wood finishing you will need to create layers of translucent colour and texture and finish with a wax.

If you are using paints then all paints are fine - I have not yet met any paints that will not adhere to the surface. You could use paints in a can, emulsion, acrylic, oils and so on.

Gilt

Gold leaf can be applied directly to the resin surface. First paint any areas you want to gild with gold size (acrylic for easy use), allow to go tacky and then gild the surface with dutch metal (an imitation gold leaf).

Alternatively try using a gilt paint such as liberon or bristol paint. I find the gilt waxes can oxidise and go green unless they are sealed.

Aging

If you wish to age your paint finish try one of these two methods:

Annie sloane makes a wonderful dark brown wax which works well over acrylics and emulsions. Paint it on and wipe it off.

Raw umber is a brilliant colour for aging (use acrylic for fast drying) - paint on and wipe off- to increase the drying time add a small amount of scumble glaze to the paint.